e walked, it
was with a lightness wonderful in a woman of seventy-eight.

Before the Leighs were fairly seated one or two others dropped in,
until it seemed quite like a called meeting of the neighborhood. Aunt
Caroline was in the chair which, on this occasion, happened to be
placed where the rosy glow from a shaded lamp fell becomingly on her
soft gray draperies. Aunt Virginia fluttered about, constantly
interrupting conversation with footstools or sofa cushions, or
irrelevant remarks.

"Miss Virginia is always wondering if one more cushion or some other
chair would not make you a little more comfortable," said Alex, as
that lady appeared after her sixth excursion to the hall, this time
with a light shawl for Mrs. Leigh's rheumatic shoulder.

"Do come and sit down, Virginia," laughed Miss Sarah; "you have no
repose of manner."

"It is very fortunate that so many of us happen to be together this
evening," began Mrs. Millard, "for I think we should decide upon our
course in regard to the shop." Her white hand, veiled in a fall of
lace, made a slight motion in the direction of the corner.

"Don't you want some chocolate candy?" asked Miss Virginia, in an
audible aside to Miss Sarah. "Charlotte and I made some this
afternoon."

"When we have decided the fate of the shop," the lady whispered back.

"Seriously," continued Mrs. Millard, turning toward her sister with a
slight frown, "should we not take some action?"

"You are right, Caroline. In my day shops kept to their own
territory," Mrs. Leigh responded. "I remember the colonel used to
say--but there! I promised Sarah I wouldn't tell any stories this
evening. She says I bore people."

"Why, Aunt Sally! you are telling the biggest kind of a one this
minute," cried her niece.

A good-natured warfare waged continually between these two. Mrs.
Leigh, who was in reality the most petted and indulged of old ladies,
pretending to live in constant fear of Miss Sarah.

"But what can we do?" Alexina was heard asking, as the skirmishers
finally retired, Mrs. Leigh having the last word. "We can't exactly
blame these persons, whoever they may be, for coming here. They could
not know we did not want them."

"I saw some one standing in the door of the shop this morning who
_looked_ like a lady," Miss Virginia remarked.

"How do you define a lady, Virginia?" her sister asked with some
severity.

"Why, Caroline, I am not a dictionary; I wish you wouldn't ask me to
defin