apprehension, he then set off at a rapid pace in the direction of
his lodging.

A careful toilet, including some necessary antidotes, and we find
the subject of our remarks an honored guest in one of the luxurious
drawing-rooms in the city. Not a trace of the recent association is
visible as Mr. Tracy takes his seat at a whist-table with an
interesting and amiable young lady for partner.

"What a brilliant young man Mr. Tracy is," remarked an anxious mamma
to a lady sitting near, who also was on the _qui vive_ for an
eligible _parti_ in the capacity of a son-in-law.

"Don't you think Miss Simpkins is very forward; just see how she is
flirting with Mr. Tracy. I'm glad she is no relation of mine."

Miss Dorothy Strong had ventured the above speech in hopes of
testing the _strong_ tendencies of her audience. She was a
spinster of youthful pretension, and invariably took occasion to
condemn any such exhibition on the part of others a dozen years her
junior. Not meeting any remonstrance she made quite a speech on the
familiarity of young ladies, their want of dignity, and ended in a
grand peroration upon the conceit of the young men, their vicious
habits and all short-comings she could bring to bear upon the
subject.

But Miss Dorothy's speech was unhappily chosen, and therefore "lost
its sweetness upon a desert air."

"Sour grapes," whispered a pretty miss of sixteen to her elder