Never saw you look better--and so young." "I appreciate the compliment, my daughter," returned Mrs.Chapman, dropping a bow and a courtesy.

"A woman of my complexion may be excused for refusing to get old." "I was only joking," resumed Mattie, laughing heartily.

"My dear mother takes everything so serious--" "Come, come," interrupted Mrs.Chapman, her face coloring, "does my dress become me?
Am I presentable ?" "You are elegance itself, my dear mother, and would be presentable anywhere," returned Mattie, with a merry twinkle of the eye.
"That's what I wanted to know," said Mrs.Chapman with a bow, and a slight motion backward.

"And now, my daughter," she resumed quickly, "this is a good time for having a very serious talk on a very important, but very different matter.

What we were talking about yesterday, you know.