"Well, Andrew, what is it?"

"A boy from Mr. Dunbar's office has just galloped up, and says I am
to tell you he can't ride to the Falls to-day, as he expected,
because of some pressing business; and he wants to know if the Judge
will come into town right away? Mr. Dunbar will explain when he
comes late this evening."

"Very well. Tell Daniel I shall not want 'Rebel' saddled; and say to
the messenger that my Uncle is not at home. Aunt Patty, do you know
where he has gone?"

"Doubtless to his office; where else should he be? He said he had a
pile of tiresome papers to examine to-day."

Miss Gordon folded up her work, laid it away in a dainty basket
lined with blue satin and flounced with lace; and after pausing a
moment to pet her Aunt's white Maltese cat which lay dozing In the
sunshine, walked away toward a Small hot-house, built quite near the
dining-room, and connected with it by an arcade, covered in summer
by vines, in winter by glass.

Twenty-four years before that day, when a proud, fond young mother
puffed and tucked the marvel of lace and linen cambric, which was
intended as a christening robe for her baby, and laid it away with
spicery of rose leaves and sachet of lavender and deer tongue, to
wait until a "furlough" allowed the child's father to be present at
the baptism, she had supposed that its delicate folds would one day
adorn a dimpled rosy-faced infant, for whom the name Aurelia Gordon