to get along with them is to act as if they weren't there."

After Grandma Cobb went home, as late as nine o'clock, I saw a
clinging, shadowy couple stroll past our house, and knew it was
Harriet Jameson and Harry, as did Louisa, and our consciences began
to trouble us again.

"I feel like a traitor to Caroline and to Mrs. Jameson sometimes,"
said I.

"Well, maybe that is better than to be traitor to true love," said
Louisa, which did sound rather sentimental.

The next morning about eleven o'clock Mrs. Jameson came in, and we
knew at once that she was, so to speak, fairly rampant in the field
of improvement for our good, or rather the good of the village, for,
as I said before, she was now resolved upon the welfare of the
village at large, and not that of individuals or even societies.

"I consider that my own sphere has been widened this winter," said
Mrs. Jameson, and Louisa and I regarded her with something like
terror. Flora Clark said, when she heard that remark of Mrs.
Jameson's, that she felt, for her part, as if a kicking horse had got
out of the pasture, and there was no knowing where he would stop.

We supposed that it must be an evidence of Mrs. Jameson's own advance
in improvement that she had adopted such a singular costume,
according to our ideas. She was dressed no longer in the rich fabrics
which had always aroused our admiration, but, instead, wore a gown of
brown cloth cut short enough to expose her ankles, which were,