yall, who
had come over with the two little girls to return some of the visits
Doris had made. The girls fell in love with bright, versatile Betty, and
Alice was much interested in her visit to Hartford, and thought her
quite charming.

Then it was quite fascinating to compare notes about Mr. Adams with one
of his own kin. Alice made no secret of her admiration for him; the
whole family joined in, for that matter. Young girls could be a little
free and friendly with elderly gentlemen without exciting comment or
having to be so precise.

When Jane said "Cousin Morris told me such or such a thing," Betty was
delighted to reply, "Yes, Doris was speaking of it." The girls were the
best of friends, but this half-unconscious rivalry was natural.

Mrs. Leverett had no objections to the intimacy now. Betty was older and
more sensible, and now she was really a young lady receiving
invitations, and going out to walk or to shop with the girls. For hard
as the times were, a little finery had to be bought, or a gown now and
then.

Mrs. King had not gone to New York, though her husband had been there on
business. She would have been very glad of Betty's company; but with
little Ruth and Aunt Priscilla, Betty felt she ought not leave her
mother. And, then, she was having a young girl's good time at home.

Mrs. Leverett half wished Jane might "fancy Warren." She was a smart,
attractive, and withal sensible girl. But Warren was not thinking of
girls just now, or of marrying. The debating society was a source of
great interest and nearly every "talk" turned on some aspect of the
possible war. His singing class occupied him one evening, and one
evening was devoted to dancing. He liked Jane very much in a friendly
fashion, and they went on calling each other by their first names, but
if he happened to drop in there was almost sure to be other company.

The "Son" on the business sign over the doorway gave him a great sense
of responsibility, especially now when everything was so dull, and
money, as people said, "came like drawing teeth," a painful enough
process in those days.

Finally Miss Isabel Royall's wedding day was set for early in June. The
shopping was quite an undertaking. There were Thayer's dry-goods store
and Daniel Simpson's and Mr. Bromfield's, the greater and the lesser
shops on Washington and School streets. It was quite a risk now ordering
things from abroad, vessels were interfered with so much. But there were
Ch