Transcriber's note: Unusual and inconsistent spelling is as printed. Hetty's Garden-Party, AND WHAT CAME OF IT. BY EMMA LESLIE _Author of "Harry Lawley," "Constancia's Household,"_ _Etc., Etc._ [Illustration] LONDON: SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION 55 & 56, OLD BAILEY, E.C. CONTENTS. [Illustration] CHAPTER I. HETTY'S PROPOSAL CHAPTER II. THE COUSINS CHAPTER III. AN UGLY DILEMMA CHAPTER IV. COMPLICATIONS CHAPTER V. AN UNWELCOME VISITOR CHAPTER VI. CONCLUSION [Illustration] Hetty's Garden-Party, AND WHAT CAME OF IT. —————— CHAPTER I. HETTY'S PROPOSAL. "MAMMA, dear! A letter for you, from Uncle John, I believe," said Hetty Golding, as she paused at the breakfast table, where the letter was lying near her mother's plate. "Yes, it is from Uncle John. I wonder whether he will let Harry and Lettice come to us for a week?" said the lady, as she opened her letter. "Oh, mamma, did you ask him? I hope he has consented, for I have told Ellen Ross and the other girls so much about Lettice that they are quite wild to see her. Is she coming?" asked Hetty, impatiently. "Wait a minute, my dear, and you shall have the letter to read yourself. Yes, they are both coming," said the widow, as she handed the letter to her daughter the next minute. But Hetty did not want to read it now. "Oh I 'am' glad," she said, clapping her hands. "Mamma, what shall we do when they come?" she added. "Do, my dear? Make them as comfortable as we can, to be sure," said Mrs. Golding, calmly. "Yes, of course. But you know what I mean, mamma. They are used to having everything so nice at home." "Well, I hope we shall be able to have everything nice here. We always do, Hetty." "But, mamma, it will be so different; we only keep one servant. Don't you think we had better have Mary Riley as housemaid? Uncle John keeps two, besides a cook and kitchenmaid." "Your Uncle John is a rich man, while I am only a poor widow—comparatively poor, at least—for my income, as you know is only sufficient for our wants, barely allowing me to lay aside a trifle for a rainy day. But Lettice knows this, and will not expect a house full of servants. No, I don't think I shall have Mary Riley; she has grown such a pert, forward girl since she went to live in London." A cloud gathered on Hetty's good-tempered face.