dislike this boy."

"I don't dislike him."

"Then you ought to."

"He is in Aunt Eliza's employment. While he remains so, I shall treat
him with cordiality."

"You are blind as a mole!" said Mrs. Tracy, passionately. "You can't
see that he is trying to work his way into aunt's affections."

"I think he has done so already. She thinks a great deal of him."

"When you find her remembering him in her will, you may come over to
my opinion."

"She is quite at liberty to remember him in her will, so far as I am
concerned. There will be enough for us, even if she does leave Luke a
legacy."

"I see you are incorrigible. I am sorry I invited you to remain in my
house.

"I was under the impression that it was Aunt Eliza's house. You are
claiming too much, Louisa."

Mrs. Tracy bit her lip, and was compelled to give up her attempt to
secure her brother's allegiance. She contented herself with treating
him with formal politeness, abstaining from all show of cordiality.
This was carried on so far that it attracted the attention of Mrs.
Merton.

"What is the trouble between you and Louisa?" she asked one day.

Warner laughed.

"She thinks I am too intimate with your boy, Luke."

"I don't understand."

"I often walk with Luke either on his way to or from the house. Harold
has reported this to his mother, and the result is a lecture as to the
choice of proper companions from my dignified sister."

Mrs. Merton smiled kindly on her nephew.

"Then you don't propose to give up Luke?" she said.

"No; I like the boy. He is worth a dozen Harolds. Perhaps I ought not
to say this, for Harold is my nephew and they say blood is thicker
than water. However, it is a fact, nevertheless, that I like Luke the
better of the two."

"I shall not blame you for saying that, Warner," returned the old
lady. "I am glad that one of the family, at least, is free from
prejudice. To what do you attribute Louisa's dislike of Luke?"

"I think, aunt, you are shrewd enough to guess the reason without
appealing to me."

"Still, I would like to hear it from your lips."

"In plain words, then, Louisa is afraid you will remember Luke in your
will."

"She doesn't think I would leave everything to him, does she?"

"She objects to your leaving anything. If it were only five hundred
dollars she would grudge it."

"Louisa was always selfish," said Mrs. Merton, quietly. "I have always
known that. She is not wise, however. She does not underst