shaking hands most cordially. "I congratulate you both on this unexpected meeting." But as this was not a suitable place for explanation, she asked Zephina to come and see Beulah very soon, and gave her address.

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"I have but little time," she replied, looking very sorrowfully, "but I will endeavour to come as soon as possible."

Mrs. Whately and Beulah then left, and, all the way home, they were forming conjectures how Zephina had happened to take up the employment in which they found her engaged.

As they stepped out of the shop and into the carriage, Harriet Ann happened to be passing, and saw them.

"I declare, that is the sister of the horrid wretch that spoke to me the other day in Washington Street, and she is with Mrs. Whately, one of the very fust ladies in Boston."

The person to whom she spoke was the same who was with her on the former occasion. "It is the very young lady who was with him; what a very pretty girl she is," she replied.

"How can you think so? She has n't a bit of an air, and so plainly dressed, too,

not even a feather, when every body that

can raises one of some kind or other. She's a real country-girl. I can't think how she happens to be with Mrs. Whately. Seems to me I remember she got her living in the country by picking berries, or some such thing, but I am uncerting. I am going down this way, and must bid you good morning."

She walked a little way down the street, and then, turning, hastened back to the milliner's shop. For many months, Harriet Ann had not found it convenient to recognize Zephina, and whenever she passed her in the street, it was amusing to see the various expedients that she adopted for turning her head the other way. Now she ran up to her, saying, in a condescending manner, "How d' ye do, Zephina. What have you got altogether allamode and recherchy (Harriet Ann had got a smattering of French, which she pronounced horridly, and a passion for large words).

"I do not understand you, Miss Gunn," replied Zephina.

"O, I forgot, your present occupation is an insuperable preventative to your studying French. By the way, I thought I saw this morning, that very country-girl that I once or twice met,

when I spent a couple of months at that horrid outlandish place in the country. Her name is Betsey or Patty Morris, I believe?"

"Beulah Morris. She is passing the winter with her cousin, Mrs. Whately," coolly replied Zephina.

"Then that countrified fellow must have been her brother, who had the impudence to address me in the street, and inquire after you."

"Was it the older or the younger brother?" asked Zephina, slightly blushing.

"I am sure I do n't know; it was a tall, awkward crichure, and I was scared to death for fear some one would see him speak to me in the street."

A lady now came and asked Zephina to step aside, she wished to ask her a question. Mrs. Markham that was the lady's name was getup a set of tableaux, and wanted some one for a Rowena. She was struck with the long flaxen curls and fair complexion of Harriet Ann, as a fine contrast for her dark-haired, dark-eyed friend, who was to personate Rebecca the Jewess. Zephina told her that Harriet Ann was a young lady of independent fortune, niece to Mr. Prium, the baker.

"A very respectable, honest man; I've known

him these twenty years," the lady said, and asked for an introduction to her.

Harriet Ann was delighted beyond expression at this invitation.

As the tableaux were to be the next evening, Mrs. Markham offered to procure a dress for Miss Gunn. But no, Miss Gunn chose to provide her own dress, if the lady would tell her what it should be, as she had not the least idea who or what Rowena was. Mrs. Markham explained it, recommending that she should leave it to the good taste of Miss Fanshaw.

CHAPTER XVI.

A FRIENDLY VISIT.

THE next morning Beulah was agreeably surprised by a visit from Zephina. The greeting was equally cordial on both sides.

Zephina told Beulah, that, when they were in Baxter, her mother had retired into the country for economy's sake. They had formerly lived in New York. Her mother had been a widow since she herself was an infant. Their fortune, which had once been considerable, had been reduced, yet Mrs. Fanshaw determined to bring out Zephina as an accomplished lady.

On her return to New York, she lost nearly all that remained of her fortune by the failure of a bank. Zephina immediately determined to offer herself for some kind of employment, but her mother insisted that it should not be in New York, the scene of her former display. She