Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. Judge Brown and Helen attended the reception given in honor of the nuptials of Mr. and Mrs. Armitage, Jr. " Who is that handsome girl, posing so gracefully, next to that elderly gentleman?" inquired Frank Van Alden, of Mrs. Armitage, Sr., the mother of the bridegroom. "A Miss Powell; and the gentleman with her, is Judge Brown, her uncle and guardian," replied the lady. " Let me introduce you to her ; she is indeed a lovely girl, an orphan, and an heiress." Van Alden stopped suddenly in his progress to wards Helen. Mrs. Armitage looked at him in surprise. Had he changed his intention of accepting the introduction she had proffered ! At last she asked, " Is the lady less attractive to you, because of her being an heiress ?" " Look,.Mrs. Armitage," replied Van Alden, with a smile, "the young lady is now besieged by a dozen gentlmen ; I would be the thirteenth. It is an unlucky numbef, and therefore I beg to be excused, for the present, at least." Later in the evening, Helen returned from a quadrille to the reception room in company with the bride, who led her towards the balcony, where her husband and Van Alden were chatting. " Miss Powell, a very dear friend of mine," said the bride, "Mr. Van Alden, a friend of my husband and therefore also a friend of mine," and added, pleasantly, " you must become friends too." " I gladly avail myself of every opportunity to make friends," said Helen, with a smile. " I have no doubt," replied Yan Alden, " that on every occasion, if you wish it, you add them to your list. I will deem it an honor to be counted one of them." A bit of flattery, thought Helen ; but permissible ; unlike the nothingness she so often had heard on similar occasions. Van Alden conversed with dignified reserve, without the usua...