They were bright-eyed, rosy-cheeked children, full of life and health, but to Elsie's taste not half so sweet and pretty as Rosebud.
Mrs.Balis next conducted her guest to her boudoir; a servant brought in refreshments, consisting of a variety of fruits, cakes, and confections, with wine sangaree and lemonade.

After partaking of these, the ladies had a long talk while awaiting the return of their husbands.

The gentlemen were gone much longer than had been anticipated, and I am not sure the wives did not grow a little uneasy.

At all events they left the boudoir for the front veranda, which gave them a view of the avenue and some hundred yards of the road beyond in the direction from which the travelers must come.

And when at length the two were descried approaching, in a more leisurely manner than they went, there was a simultaneous and relieved exclamation, "Oh, there they are at last." The ladies stood up and waved their handkerchiefs.