"Is Miss Alstine at home?"
The servant answered in the affirmative, and showed the young gentleman to the elegant parlor.
Usually Rose received him in person, thus doing away with the ceremony of servants.
She was not expecting him.
This of course accounted for her not coming at once to meet him.
Ten minutes passed, and then the maid returned.
August looked up, expecting to see the smiling face of Rose.
"Miss Alstine can't receive visitors."
"Is she ill?" questioned the young man in sudden alarm.
"No, she's as well as usual."