the school were left unpaid,
and she worked the debt out."

"Is it possible!"

"Dear me, how noble!"

"But how did she get acquainted with Mr. Mellen?" cried a third voice;
"make haste, or they will be upon us before we know a word about it."

"His sister, Miss Elsie Mellen, was a pupil in the school. Her love for
Miss Fuller was perfect infatuation. The brother worshiped her--sweet
creature, who could help it?--and so the acquaintance began in the
parlor of a boarding school, and ends--Hush, hush!"

There was a slight commotion at the door, followed by the soft rustling
of silks and turning of heads. Then a gentleman of noble presence, calm
and self-possessed, as if he were quite unconscious of all the eyes bent
upon him, came slowly up the broad aisle with the object of all this
conversation leaning on his arm.

Certainly the bride gave no evidence of her low estate in that rustling
white silk, which shone like crusted snow through a sheen of tulle; or
in the veil of Brussels lace that fell around her like a fabric of
cobwebs overrun with frostwork. You could detect intense emotion from
the shiver of the clematis spray, mingled with snowy roses, in her black
hair; but otherwise she seemed quiet and remarkably self-sustained.

Following close upon this noble pair, came a tall, loose-jointed young
man, glowing with pride of the lovely creature on his arm; and, really,
any thing more beautiful, in a material sense, could not well be
imagined than that youthful bridesmaid. Like the stately girl who had
passed before her, she moved in a cloud of shimmering white, with just
enough of blue in the golden hair and on the bosom to match the violet
of her eyes.

Once or twice Tom Fuller missed step as they were going up the aisle,
when Elsie would make a pause, look ruefully at her gossamer skirts, and
only seem relieved when her partner stumbled into place again. Then she
followed the bride, her cheeks one glow of roses and smiles dimpling her
fresh, young mouth, as if she were the Queen of May approaching her
throne.

The bridal-pair knelt at the altar, and a solemn stillness fell upon
that brilliant multitude as the vows which were to unite that man and
woman for all time were uttered. Even Elsie looked on with shadowy
sadness in her eyes; as for Tom--the noble-hearted fellow made a fool of
himself of course, and was compelled to shake the tears surreptitiously
from his eyes, before he dared to look up from the lo