came in
the course of two weeks, but since then I have not had a word."

"Have you written to him since his letters ceased?" asked Kate.

"Yes, once, and I am sorry I did," answered Fanny; "but I asked Julia if I
had better, and she said it would do no harm."

"Perhaps," said Mrs. Miller, "he is intending to return soon and wishes to
surprise you, or it may be he is testing the strength of your attachment.
But I would not suffer myself to be so much distressed until I was sure he
was false. Come, dry your eyes and go with me to the parlor. There are
some young gentlemen here from New York. One of them is Dr. Lacey's
cousin. He wishes to see you."

"Oh, no, no!" said Fanny, quickly. "I cannot go down. You must excuse me
to him."

So Mrs. Miller returned to the parlor, and said Fanny was not feeling very
well and wished to be excused.

Stanton and Raymond passed a very pleasant evening, and ere its close they
had arranged with Mrs. Crane for rooms and board. On their way to the
hotel, Raymond suddenly exclaimed, "I say, Bob, I'm head over heels in
love!"

"In love with whom?" was Stanton's quiet reply.

"In love with whom?" repeated Raymond. "Why, Bob, is it possible your head
is so full of Nellie Ashton that you do not know that we have been in
company this evening with a perfect Hebe, an angel, a divine creature?"

"Please stop," said Stanton, "and not deal in so many superlatives. Which
of the fair ladies made such havoc with your heart? Was it Mrs. Crane?"

"Mrs. Crane! Witch of Endor just as soon," answered Raymond. "Why, man
alive, 'twas the beautiful Mrs. Carrington. I tell you what, Bob, my
destiny is upon me and she is its star. I see in her my future wife."

"Why, Fred," said Mr. Stanton, "are you crazy? Mrs. Carrington is at least
nearly thirty-five, and you are not yet twenty-five."

"I don't care for that," replied Raymond. "She may be thirty, and she may
be a hundred, but she looks sixteen. Such glorious eyes I never saw. And
she almost annihilated me with one of her captivating smiles. Her name,
too, is my favorite."

"Her name? Pray, how did you learn her name?" asked Stanton.

"Why," answered Raymond, "you know we were talking together a part of the
evening. Our conversation turned upon names, and I remarked that Ida was
my favorite. Bob, you ought to have seen her smile as she told me Ida was
her own name. Perhaps I said something foolish, for I replied that Ida was
a beautiful name and