felt
sorry for Mrs. Lunn, especially as it was known that this cousin had
always been as generous as her income would allow; but she was chiefly
dependent upon an annuity, and was thought to have but little to leave
behind her.

Mrs. Lunn had reached home only the evening before, and, the day of
her return having been uncertain, she was welcomed by no one, and had
slipped in at her own door unnoticed in the dusk. There was a little
stir in the congregation as she passed to her pew, but, being in
affliction, she took no notice of friendly glances, and responded with
great gravity only to her neighbor in the next pew, with whom she
usually exchanged confidential whispers as late as the second sentence
of the opening prayer.

The new minister was better known to her than to any other member of
the parish; for he had been the pastor of the church to which her
lately deceased cousin belonged, and Mrs. Lunn had seen him oftener
and more intimately than ever in this last sad visit. He was a
fine-looking man, no longer young,--in fact, he looked quite as old as
our heroine,--and though at first the three captains alone may have
regarded him with suspicion, by the time church was over and the Rev.
Mr. Farley had passed quickly by some prominent parishioners who stood
expectant at the doors of their pews, in order to speak to Mrs. Lunn,
and lingered a few moments holding her affectionately by the hand--by
this time gossip was fairly kindled. Moreover, the minister had
declined Deacon Torby's invitation to dinner, and it was supposed,
though wrongly, that he had accepted Mrs. Lunn's, as they walked away
together.

Now Mrs. Lunn was a great favorite in the social circles of
Longport--none greater; but there were other single ladies in the
First Parish, and it was something to be deeply considered whether she
had the right, with so little delay, to appropriate the only
marriageable minister who had been settled over that church and
society during a hundred and eighteen years. There was a loud buzzing
of talk that Sunday afternoon. It was impossible to gainsay the fact
that if there was a prospective engagement, Mrs. Lunn had shown her
usual discretion. The new minister had a proper income, but no house
and home; while she had a good house and home, but no income. She was
called hard names, which would have deeply wounded her, by many of her
intimate friends; but there were others who more generously took her
part, though they v