Chapter I: Foreword

It may be urged that all proper heroines go through a period of uncertainty before giving their hands and hearts in marriage. Occasionally, however, there are longer seasons of indecision, incident to pride, high temper, or misunderstanding on the lady's side, or to poverty, undue timidity, or lack of high pressure on the part of the gentleman. I have christened the heroines of this volume "Ladies-in-Waiting," and that no mental picture may be formed of Queen and Court and Maids of Honor I have asked the artist to portray for the frontispiece a marriageable maiden seated pensively upon a hillside. Her attitude is plainly one of suspended animation while the new moon above her shoulders suggests to the reader that she will not wait in vain.

KATE DOUGLAS WIGGIN

August 11, 1919

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE Miss Thomasina Tucker 1 The Turning-Point 97 Huldah The Prophetess 145 Two On A Tour 183 Philippa's Nervous Prostration 275

LADIES-IN-WAITING

MISS THOMASINA TUCKER