near
her, and looking upon the retreating figures of her sister and cousin,
who were going up the avenue. Then turning to a point where she could
see in the distance the dim form of Henry Moore, she took the seat that
her cousin had vacated, and gave vent to a keener anguish, but how
different!

CHAPTER XXVI.

"Come, girls," said Mr. Halberg, as the young ladies descended from
their rooms equipped for church, "the bell has been tolling for some
time, I fear we shall be late. Where's Ellen?" he continued, casting his
eyes over the group and missing his eldest daughter.

"She is not well to-day, papa, and prefers remaining at home with
mother," said Carrie. "Nothing serious," added she, observing her
father's anxious and troubled look. "She said she would try to sleep,
and perhaps that would banish her head-ache so that she would be able to
go with us this afternoon;" and the party left the house, and calling
for Mrs. Dunmore and Rosalie, they all proceeded to the church.

The walk was rural and quiet, through green lanes that were seldom
disturbed except when the house of God was open. A little footpath was
worn upon the verdant turf, and the green was unpressed elsewhere, save
where some passive burden was silently borne to its lowly bed; there the
somber wheels crushed down the blades that lifted up their heads to the
glad sunlight, as if it were wrong to live and grow on while death was
moving over them.

There were recent traces upon the grass that recalled to every mind the
venerable and stricken old man who was now resting so peacefully beneath
the church's shadow, and as Jennie's eye perceived them, she leaned
heavily upon her uncle's arm and sighed.

"My darling," said he, in a low and gentle voice, "we shall miss you
very much--more than I can tell! Your love and care for your poor
grandfather, notwithstanding all the past, have endeared you more and
more to my heart, so that it is a bitter trial to think of parting from
you, and one which I should strive to avert, were it not that too much
of your young life has been given up to seclusion when you might have
been deriving both happiness and profit in the world. Your self-denial,
dear child, will be rewarded, if it is not already giving you a rich
harvest of peaceful and self-approving thoughts!" Jennie could not
reply, even had she desired, as they were at the church door, and her
uncle was accosted by the senior warden:

"We have a stranger to