ly.

"You go to theatres: is he fond of theatrical performances?"

"Very," answered the young girl.

"So far, so good," said Josephine, in whose mind the thought, whatever
it was, seemed to be shaping itself with great rapidity. "Now, is he a
mimic? Could he play a part if he should attempt it?"

"I should think so," answered Emily. "He is very droll and a great
mimic--too much so, I sometimes think. But what do you mean?"

"Why this," said Joe, whose plan had now grown to its full
proportions--as odd and reckless a plan as the most outre could have
wished, but quite consistent with her own sense of benevolent mischief.
She had not quite recovered from the influence of her "amateur
detective" exploit for the benefit of Richard Crawford, and masquerades
seemed to her, for the time, the only realities. Conjoined with the
memory of her late exploits as a volunteer detective, was a thought of
the very effectual manner in which she had seen Tom Leslie disguise
himself on the day of the visit to the fortune-teller; and she had hit
upon a plan--nothing more nor less--to introduce the young girl's lover
into that house, under her own protection, and in such a disguise that
not even the suspicious eyes of Judge Owen could know that they had ever
looked at him before! As for any ultimate good to flow from the
frolic--it must be confessed that she scarcely thought of it. She did
think of throwing the two lovers together, for once or twice, at least,
and of playing a prank which he well deserved, upon the imperious and
not-over-reasonable Judge--that was all. She did not foresee the real
results which were to follow the operation: as which of us ever did,
when we began a frolic, imagine what earnest that frolic might become
before it was concluded?

"Why, this is what I mean--a plan that will at least give you an
occasional sight of your 'Frank,' that no doubt you think more of than a
Congressman of his, and wouldn't lend it to anybody. Scribble him a
little note at once, tell him who I am and what I am going to do. Put in
this card of mine, so that he can know where to find me. Then tell him
to get a soldier's uniform--(say a Captain's) a crutch, a cane, and a
green patch for one eye, and come to my house to-morrow afternoon.
No--if he only gets the crutch and the came, I will make the patch for
his eye, to-night. You are not going out anywhere to-morrow evening?"

"No," answered the young girl, a little bewildered by such