"Who, indeed!" said Dorothy. "Uncle George has always been good as gold to me. O Ethel, what perfectly lovely silk and lace he has given us! I shall be surprised if Blanche does not go almost wild with delight when she sees them."

"Yes, they seem too beautiful and costly for girls so poor as we are.

Yet I can't help feeling greatly pleased to have them. The Landreths are wealthy, as perhaps you know, and I own I did feel a little reluctant to go among them poorly dressed, especially as a bride."

"Well, you see you won't have to, and I am sure your uncles never meant you should; they have too much family pride for that, even if they did not love the girls and Harry also, and I am sure they do."

"Yes, I know they do," said Ethel, "and I esteem their fatherly affection a very great blessing; as I should even if they were not able to help us at all."

"I do not doubt it in the least. But to change the subject--you must have a travelling dress, and I think a certain shade of gray, with a hat and feather to match, would be the very thing."

"I agree with you," said Ethel, "and they would be pretty for Blanche too."

"Yes; but hers might be of a slightly different shade, as you don't--at least I presume you don't want to dress exactly alike and have people taking you for twins," she concluded laughingly.

"No, not exactly, except in our wedding dresses," returned Ethel with a smile. "But if we choose, we can have them made up a little differently; the way of putting on the lace might be different if nothing else."

"Yes, and that will be quite enough difference to prevent you or anybody else from mistaking one for the other or thinking you a pair of twins. I think you ought each to have a handsome black silk too, and some pretty home and morning dresses. But fortunately we don't need to purchase, or even to decide on, everything to-day."

"No, we don't, and it is well, for I want to consult my sister first.

She has as much right as I to decide these questions."

"I agree with you," said Dorothy, "but you are better than some sisters or you wouldn't be so ready to own it; some would say, 'I'm the eldest, and things ought all to be as I want them.'"

"Blanche always wants me to have my own things exactly as I want them, and reserves the same privilege for herself, which I think is the better way; for what is becoming to one is not always equally so to the other."

"No, your complexions are different, but both beautiful. I have never been able to decide which was the prettier, and would be only too thankful to exchange with either of you," said Dorothy in her merry tones.

"O Dorothy, how can you say that?" exclaimed Ethel. "I call you very pretty; you are not fair, but your skin is so smooth and soft, and you have such a lovely bright color in your cheeks, such large handsome eyes with long, silky lashes that curl so prettily, such beautiful teeth and----"

"Oh, stop, stop, you little flatterer!" exclaimed Dorothy. "You'll have me as vain as a peac.o.c.k, which will entirely spoil any pretensions to beauty that I may be supposed to have. Ah, let us go in here. They have the loveliest dress goods, and I dare say we can find the very shade of gray cloth wanted for your travelling suit."

Several hours were spent in shopping; then they returned to Ethel's little home laden with parcels, though the heavier bundles had all been left to be sent, either there or to Mr. George Eldon's.

"Oh, I am glad to see you!" cried Blanche as they entered, "and though you do look tired, I know by your happy faces that you've been successful, and by the looks of your satchels that you have a good many pretty little things to show me; but dinner's just ready and I can wait till you have refreshed yourselves with food. We will all enjoy the exhibition better after that has been attended to; so come out to the dining room," and she led the way as she spoke.

"Really I don't know whether we can wait to make our important communications," said Dorothy, laying down her satchel and removing her hat and coat. "However, Ethel, it may be the wisest plan, if we consider Blanche's good; since what we have to say and to show might destroy her appet.i.te for this dinner, which certainly smells very nice and appetizing. I think you will discover that I have not lost, by the way, my relish for good, substantial, well-prepared food. Partaking of it will doubtless greatly a.s.sist me in abstaining from unwisely making prompt revelation concerning the doings and happenings of our late expedition--the raids we have made upon merchants, wholesale and retail."

"And the plunder you have brought off, eh?" queried Blanche sedately, but with a twinkle of fun in her eye.

"That is included, of course," returned Dorothy.

"It is not according to one's strongest inclinations--this proposed waiting," Ethel said laughingly, "but let us show how bravely we can battle against them when we feel called upon to do so. Shall I help you to some oysters, Dorothy?"

"Indeed you may, my dear girl. I am particularly fond of oysters when well prepared, as I have always found them here, and hungry enough to eat almost anything."

"I am glad to hear it," said Blanche, "since it will tend to cause you to more highly appreciate our humble fare."

"Now don't put on any airs of mock humility, if you please, Miss Eldon,"

returned Dorothy. "I say this dinner is fit for a king; sufficient variety, and everything done to a turn. These oysters, this Sally Lunn, these baked potatoes are all delicious; and I never drank a better cup of coffee. So what more could any reasonable mortal ask?"

"I don't know really," returned Blanche, "except in my case--that I may be told what you two have seen, and done, and bought. Did you find our uncles in?"

"The senior partner was there in his office, the other out; so that we missed seeing him altogether. You will hear the rest after we have fully satisfied our appet.i.tes; but remember, my lady, it was not your things but Ethel's we were buying to-day. You have probably been told more than once in the course of your short life, that older people must be attended to first, younger ones wait patiently till their turn comes."

"Yes, I remember to have been told something of the sort several times in my life," said Blanche; "but I venture to predict that I shall not hear it very often after a certain ceremony expected to be performed within the next two or three months."

"Ah, after that you will probably consider yourself a much more important personage than--such of your s.e.x as see fit to live in single blessedness."

"Possibly," returned Blanche with an arch look and smile.

So they chatted on for some little time, then Dorothy exclaimed, "There, we are all done eating, I see, so suppose we proceed now, Ethel, to display our purchases to Blanche's astonished eyes."

"Yes," Ethel replied, "but let us carry them into the parlor so that we can be on the watch for customers while Bridget eats her dinner."

They did so and Dorothy was in her element, opening packages and displaying the contents to Blanche's delighted eyes.

"Oh, everything is just lovely!" she said, her eyes dancing with mirth.

"I doubt if you could have done better even with my a.s.sistance and advice--valuable as my friends have always found them."

"Possibly not," returned Dorothy; "but wind and weather permitting, and nothing else interfering, I hope to take you out to-morrow, my little dear, and give you the opportunity to show your talent in this line. Now we have shown you everything we bought to-day except the wedding dress and its tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs."

"Oh, did you get them? Let me see them!" cried Blanche in an eager, excited tone.

"Unfortunately we cannot show the dress, or rather dresses--for Uncle George gave us a whole piece of the loveliest white silk, enough to make three gowns--one for Ethel, one for you, and one for myself, and----"

"Oh, did he? How kind and generous!" cried Blanche half breathlessly.

"Yes, and this lace to trim them with," said Dorothy, taking the last remaining package from her satchel, adding as she undid it, "but I can't show you the silk because it was ordered to be sent right up to his house. I dare say it's there by this time, and you can call and look at it when you will. There! what do you think of that?" throwing open her package and holding up a portion of the lace to view.

"Oh! oh! oh! it's the loveliest thing I ever saw!" was Blanche's excited exclamation. "Did you say Uncle George gave it to us! I don't see how he could afford it, for it must have cost a mint of money."

"He said we were to have it at wholesale price and take the money to pay for it from him."

"Oh!" gasped Blanche, "I hope he won't ruin himself."

"No danger, my dear; for though very, very generous he is exceedingly careful too; as a business man should be."

"Or a business woman, or any other kind of man or woman," added Ethel with a smile. "I think both our uncles are exceedingly kind to us all. I often wish it were in my power to make them some adequate return."

"Perhaps it may be some day," said Blanche; "or, if not to them, to their children."

"Yes," said Dorothy, "there are so many ups and downs in this world; perhaps I might say particularly in this country. I must go home now, girls; it won't do to leave Aunt Sarah alone all day. But see that you are ready for your turn at shopping early to-morrow morning, Blanche, if the weather is at all suitable. Better make out a list of necessary articles, so that we won't forget and spend the money on the wrong ones.

By the way, girls, I shouldn't buy any more handsome dresses--except of course Blanche's travelling suit--till we see what your Uncle Albert will do to get even with his brother in that line."

"Yes, he too is exceedingly generous," said Ethel; "but I think he should remember that he has more children of his own to provide for than Uncle George has."

"Yes; and not the most economical ones in the world either," laughed Dorothy as she stood before the gla.s.s, putting on her hat. "I must go now," she said, picking up her satchel, "and I'll expect you bright and early in the morning, Blanche. You'd better come for me so that you can take a look at the silk for the wedding dresses."