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"But you aren't an oldinto Miss Lavendar's wistful woodbrown eyes "Old maids are BORNthey don't BECOME"

"Some are born old maids, some achieve old maidenhood, and some have old maidenhood thrust upon them," parodied Miss Lavendar whimsically

"You are one of those who have achieved it then," laughed Anne, "and you've done it so beautifully that if every old maid were like you they would cos as well as possible," said Miss Lavendar meditatively, "and since an old maid I had to be I was determined to be a very nice one People say I' an old maid and refuse to copy the traditional pattern

Anne, did anyone ever tell you anything about Stephen Irving and me?"

"Yes," said Anne candidly, "I've heard that you and he were engaged once"

"So eretwenty-five years agoa lifeti I had h nobody but ed in a way alht say When Stephen was a little boy hishim here when she came to see my mother; and the second time he ever camehe was nine and I was sixhe told arden that he had pretty well rew up I reone I told ht offto be an old ?" asked Anne breathlessly

"We had just a stupid, silly, commonplace quarrel So commonplace that, if you'll believe an I hardly knoas the in it, but I suppose I provoked him by some foolishness of mine He had a rival or two, you see I was vain and coquettish and liked to tease hi, sensitive fellow Well, we parted in a teht; and it would have if Stephen hadn't come back too soon Anne, my dear, I'm sorry to say"

Miss Lavendar dropped her voice as if she were about to confess a predilection forpeople, "that I am a dreadfully sulky person