and worry him so much with her lessons poorly learned, and the
never-ending jokes played off upon her teacher. He had thought of her so
often when across the sea, and, knowing her love of the beautiful, he
had never looked upon a painting or scene of rare beauty that he did not
wish her by his side sharing in the pleasure. He had brought her from
that far-off land many little trophies which he thought she would prize,
and which he was going to take with him when he went to the farmhouse.
He never dreamed of her coming there to-night. She would, of course,
wait for him. Helen had, even when it was more her place to call upon
him first. How, then, was he amazed when, just as the sun was going down
and he was watching its last rays lingering on the brow of the hill
across the pond, the library door was opened wide and the room seemed
suddenly filled with life and joy, as a graceful figure, with reddish,
golden hair, bounded across the floor, and winding its arms around his
neck gave him the hearty kiss which Katy had in her mind when she
declined Aunt Betsy's favorite vegetable.

Morris Grant was not averse to being kissed, and yet the fact that Katy
Lennox had kissed him in such a way awoke a chill of disappointment, for
it said that to her he was the teacher still, the elder brother, whom,
as a child, she had in her pretty way loaded with caresses.

"Oh, Cousin Morris!" she exclaimed, and, still holding his hand: "Why
didn't you come over at noon, you naughty, naughty boy? But what a
splendid-looking man you've got to be, though! and what do you think of
me?" she added, blushing for the first time, as he held her off from him
and looked into the sunny face.

"I think you wholly unchanged," he answered, so gravely that Katy began
to pout as she said: "And you are sorry, I know. Pray, what did you