Twice had she walked to the woods, accompanied by Mr.Evelyn, once to the schoolhouse, while every day she swung under the old maple.

About this time Agnes began to think of returning home, so Juliet and Anna determined on a party in honor of her and Emma.

It was a bright summer afternoon; and for a wonder I was suffered to remain from school, although I received numerous charges to keep my tongue still, and was again reminded of that excellent old proverb (the composition of some old maid, I know), "_Children_ should be seen and not heard;" so, seated in a corner, my hand pressed closely over my mouth, the better to guard against contingencies, I looked on and thought, with ineffable satisfaction, how much handsomer Cousin Emma was than any one else, although I could not help acknowledging that Carrie never looked more beautiful than she did that afternoon in a neatly-fitting white muslin, with a few rosebuds nestling in her long, glossy curls.
Matters were going on swimmingly, and I had three times ventured a remark, when Anna, who was sitting near the window, exclaimed, "Look here, girls, did you ever see a finer-looking gentleman ?" at the same time calling their attention to a stranger in the street.

Emma looked, too, and the bright flush which suffused her cheek made me associate the gentleman with the letters she had received, and I was not surprised when he entered our yard and knocked at our door.

Juliet arose to answer his summons, but Emma prevented her, saying; "Suffer me to go, will you ?" She was gone some time, and when she returned was accompanied by the stranger, whom she introduced as Mr.Ashmore.I surveyed him with childish curiosity, and drew two very satisfactory breaths when I saw that he was wholly unlike Monsieur Penoyer.