ay here any longer."

"I know it; of course you can't. I'll just wait a minute and
then----there, go! What a nuisance I am!"

Elizabeth went back into the ball-room, where she saw Elsie whirling
through a waltz, looking as happy and unconscious as if she had not just
crushed a warm, loving human heart under her pretty foot.

Mrs. Mellen stood a moment arrested; no one seemed to heed her.

She saw Mrs. Harrington forcing Mellen to walk through a quadrille, and
felt certain that he was as restless as herself.

"But it is for Elsie," she thought; "he will not mind so long as it is
for her. None of them will miss me."

Tom Fuller stood in the bay window for some time trying to collect his
scattered faculties. Any thing like rational thought was quite out of
the question with him; he felt as if a great humming-top were spinning
about in his ears, and his heart was in a state of palpitation that
utterly defies description.

Finally he passed through the drawing-rooms where people were busy over
their cards or their small-talk, and entered the ball-room from which he
had rushed in such frenzy.

There was a pause in the music, and Elsie was standing surrounded by a
group of gentlemen, not even seeing Tom as he approached. He managed to
edge himself into the circle at last, and stood watching Elsie very much
like a sheep-dog that wanted dreadfully to worry something, but knew
that he would get himself into difficulty if he even ventured on a bark.

But speak with her, he would; Tom had reached that point where his
feelings must find vent or explode, and scatter mischief all around.

Finally a brilliant idea struck him, and he got near enough to whisper--

"Bessie wants to see you a moment."

Elsie turned away impatiently.

"Now, this moment," added Tom, growing very red at his own fib, but
following it up courageously.

He knew very well that the dandies were quizzing him; he saw that Elsie
was provoked; but though he trembled in every joint, and his face had
heat enough in it to have kept a poor family comfortably warm from the
reflection, he resolutely held out his arm, and the young lady took it,
pouting and flinging back smiles to her forsaken admirers.

"My sister wants me," she said, in explanation to her friends.
"Tiresome, isn't it? for there is no guessing when she will let me come
back."

Tom led his captive away, but he was dreadfully frightened at the
success of his own manoeuvre.

"Where is Bess