h her aunt. Hester expressed herself warmly on the
subject and the elder woman listened with a lightening heart. The pride
of the Alden name and family which Hester showed, pleased her. To Debby
came the thought that only those who had such birthrights could
comprehend and appreciate the honor of possessing them. For a moment,
she believed that she might have been mistaken in regard to Hester's
parentage; but just for a moment. She could not close her eyes to facts.
She, herself, had seen the purple tinge about the finger nails of the
woman and had observed the lips and eyes which were peculiar to another
race.

"It was beautiful of you, Aunt Debby, to give me your name, and I'll
never, never bring shame to it."

"Let us talk no more of the subject," was the curt rejoinder. "We have
much to do before you are ready to go to Dickinson, and we must not
spend our time in telling what is to be done or not to be done a dozen
years from now."

Hester was drying the dishes. At the mention of going to school, she
stopped. Regardless of consequences, she raised her tea-towel in one
hand like a banner, and Aunt Debby's blue cream jug, a relic of the
Alden family, high in the other.

"Dickinson Seminary!" she exclaimed in a voice pitched high with
nervousness. "I'll tell you right this minute, Aunt Debby, I will not
go."

Had the ceiling fallen down upon her, Debby Alden could not have been
more surprised. Hester, the obedient, now in the guise of an insurgent.

"_Will_ not, Hester Palmer Alden, is not the word to use to me. I am the
one to decide what is best for you to do or not to do, and I've decided
upon your going to Dickinson."

The voice of the speaker was strong with the Alden firmness and
decision. Perhaps, she forced herself to unusual firmness lest her
great love for the girl should make her weak in discipline. She expected
that Hester, having once made so strong an affirmation, would cling to
it and perhaps be inclined to disputation. On the contrary, Hester began
to sob.

Debby turned to look at the girl, down whose cheeks the tears were
streaming. Then she said with a show of gentleness: "It's only natural
that you feel bad about leaving home. Everyone does that. I really
should not feel pleased if you did not feel bad. You can not give up to
that feeling. I do not mean to permit you to do so. School is the best
place for you, and you must go. You'll enjoy it after a while."

"I was not thinking about mys