Aunt Elsie?"

"Indeed no," returned Elsie, with a happy laugh. "I'm afraid I put them
last on my list: husband, baby, mother, grandpa, brothers and sisters,
all come before society with me."

"So they shall with me when I'm a woman," said Evelyn with decision; "and
papa shall always, _always_ be first. I don't know how mamma can bear to
be away from him so much; especially now when he is so weak and ailing.
And I am quite mortified that she is not here to welcome you. She said
she would be back in time, but now writes that she finds Newport so
delightful, and the sea-breezes doing her so much good, that she can't
tear herself away just yet."

"Well, dear, as she is your mother and my sister, we will try not to
criticise or find fault with her," responded Elsie, in a gently soothing
tone.

"No; I ought not," acknowledged Evelyn; "papa never does; at least not to
me. Mamma said she thought we could entertain you for a short time, and
we mean to do our best."

"Yes, dear child; but we must not allow your father to exert himself to
that end; we did not come to be entertained, but to try to be of use to
him."

"It was very kind," said Evelyn, gratefully; "it must have been quite a
sacrifice, for you to leave that beautiful Nantucket so soon after
arriving there; I know about it, because we were there two summers ago,
and I could hardly bear to come away."