she sat this morning; another antique, clothed purely from head to
foot and made comfortable beneath with stout bagging nailed across,
over the deficient cane-work.

Tin tacks and some considerable machining--for mother had lent her the
help of her little "common sense" awhile--had done it all; and Ruth's
room, with its oblong of carpet,--which Mrs. Holabird and she had made
out before, from the brightest breadths of her old dove-colored one
and a bordering of crimson Venetian, of which there had not been
enough to put upon the staircase,--looked, as Barbara said, "just as
if it had been done on purpose."

"It _says_ it all, anyhow, doesn't it?" said Ruth.

Ruth was delightedly satisfied with it,--with its situation above all;
she liked to nestle in, in the midst of people; and she never minded
their coming through, any more than they minded her slipping her three
little brass bolts when she had a desire to.

She sat down in her considering-chair to-day, to think about Adelaide
Marchbanks's invitation.

The two Marchbanks houses were very gay this summer. The married
daughter of one family--Mrs. Reyburne--was at home from New York, and
had brought a very fascinating young Mrs. Van Alstyne with her. Roger
Marchbanks, at the other house, had a couple of college friends
visiting him; and both places were merry with young girls,--several
sisters in each family,--always. The Haddens were there a good deal,
and there were people from the city frequently, for a few days at a
time. Mrs. Linceford was staying at the Haddens, and Leslie