This placed a large sum of money in the hands of Mrs.Stanhope, both for herself and Dora, and also a goodly amount in the hands of Mrs.Laning for herself and Grace and Nellie.
The Stanhopes had always been fairly well off, but not so the Lanings.
John Laning was a farmer, and this sudden change to riches bewildered him.
"Why, mother," he said to his wife, "whatever will you and the gals do with the money ?" "Several things, John," she answered.

"In the first place, you are not going to work so hard and in the next place the girls are going to have a better education." "Well, I'm not afraid of work," answered the farmer.

"About eddication, if they want it--well, it's their money and they can have all the learnin' they want." "Dora is going to a boarding school and Nellie and Grace want to go with her," went on Mrs.Laning.
"Where is Dora going ?" "To a place called Hope Seminary.

Her mother knows the lady who is the principal." "Well, if it's a good place, I reckon the gals can go too.

But it will be terrible lonesome here without 'em." "I know, John, but we want the girls to be somebody, now they have money, don't we ?" "Sure we do," answered Mr.Laning readily.
So it was arranged that the three girls should go to Hope Seminary, located several miles from the town of Ashton, in one of the Central States.