pence, but ours
were not pounds sterling.

Doris considered and knit her delicate brows. Then a soft light
illumined her face.

"Why, Uncle Win, it is five hundred dollars! Isn't that a great deal of
money for a little girl like me? And must it not be saved up some way?"

"Yes, I think for your wedding day."

"And then suppose I should not get married?"

CHAPTER XVI

A SUMMER IN BOSTON

The Leveretts rejoiced heartily over Doris' good fortune. Aunt Priscilla
began to trouble herself again about her will. She had taken the usual
autumnal cold, but recovered from it with good nursing. Certainly
Elizabeth Leverett was very kind. Aunt Priscilla had eased up Betty
while her mother spent a fortnight at Salem, helping with the fall
sewing and making comfortables. And this time she brought home little
Ruth, who was thin and peevish, and who had not gotten well over the
measles, that had affected her eyes badly. Ruth was past four.

"I wish Mary did not take life so hard," said Mrs. Leverett with a
sigh. "They have been buying a new twenty-acre pasture lot and two new
cows, and it is just drive all the time. That poor little Elizabeth will
be all worn out before she is grown up. And Ruth wouldn't have lived the
winter through there."

Ruth was extremely troublesome at first. But grandmothers have a
soothing art, and after a few weeks she began to improve. The visits of
Doris fairly transported her, and she amused grandpa by asking every
morning "if Doris would come to-day," having implicit faith in his
knowledge of everything.

Aunt Priscilla counted on the visits as well. She kept her room a good
deal. Ruth's chatter disturbed her. Pattern children brought up on the
strictest rules did not seem quite so agreeable to her as the little
flower growing up in its own sweetness.

Betty used to walk a short distance home with her, as she declared it
was the only chance she had for a bit of Doris. She was very fond of
hearing about the Royalls, and now Miss Isabel's engagement to Mr.
Morris Winslow was announced.

Warren declared Jane was quite "top-loftical" about it. She had been
introduced to Miss Isabel at an evening company, and then they had met
at Thayer's dry goods store, where she and Mrs. Chapman had been
shopping, and had quite a little chat. They bowed in the street, and
Jane was much pleased at the prospect of being indirectly related.

But Betty had taken tea at Uncle Winthrop's with Miss Alice Ro