As love's young dream--"

it is my private opinion that it would have suited the audience to
a T. Being principally composed of elderly gentlemen with large
families, they had not that fine sense of the fitness of things so
charming to see, and tooted and banged away with waltzes and marches,
quite regardless of the flocks of Romeos and Juliets philandering all
about them.

Under cover of a popular medley, Kitty overheard Fletcher quizzing her
for the amusement of Miss Pinkbonnet, who was evidently making up
for lost time. It was feeble wit, but it put the finishing stroke to
Kitty's vanity, and she dropped a tear in her blue tissue retreat, and
clung to Jack, feeling that she had never valued him half enough. She
hoped he didn't hear the gossip going on at the other side of the tree
near which they stood; but he did, for his hand involuntarily doubled
itself up into a very dangerous-looking fist, and he darted such
fiery glances at the speaker, that, if the thing had been possible.
Fletcher's ambrosial curls would have been scorched off his head.

"Never mind, and don't get angry, Jack. They are right about one
thing,--the daisies in my bonnet _were_ real, and I _couldn't_ afford
any others. I don't care much, only Pris worked so hard to get me
ready I hate to have my things made fun of."

"He isn't worth a thrashing, so we'll let it pass this time," said
Jack, irefully, yet privately resolving to have it out with Fletcher
by and by.

"Why, Kitty, I thought the real daisies the prettiest things about