ones at her neck
and Master Dick's blue ring on her finger.

"Rhoda," says she, of a sudden, "what if we tried the larkspurs again?"
and she smiled at me, a mischievous little smile, like a child's.

"Nay, now, miss dear," says I, "what's the good of such games, and you
a grown woman? No doubt now but your way is clear to do as you like--a
fine husband and plenty of money. Let it be."

"But I will," she says, reaching for a spray of the blue stuff, "I
will, Rhoda, once more, for luck."

"Well, then, miss," says I, "put the question different like, why not?
Make it plainer--you're forever talking about 'a change in your life,'
and there's always changes, you know."

So she laughs and holds it up and sings:

"_Larkspur, larkspur, tell me true,_
_Or never again I'll trust to you!_

Am I going to be able now to use all this money to help some great
cause?"

And the flowers said, _no_!

Well, I couldn't say I was sorry for that, just because she was all for
schooling and helping the blacks, now they were thrown on themselves
like; for old Dr. Stanchon would have it that they were bound to make
more trouble now in the South than they had before, and that those who
had freed them owed them a living--or something like that. Most hated
him for it around our parts, but doctor says the country has found his
father was right, to-day. Nevertheless, there's other uses for good
family money than that, as we all know.

"You've bewitched the larkspurs, Miss Lisbet," I said, laughing. "Why
not fool them a bit? Pick a tiny short spray like this, and ask a
question you _know_ the answer to, and then you'll see how things are."

"Well," says she, "I'll ask 'If I'm to marry Dick'!"

I didn't half like that, but I happened to peep out of the tail of my
eye and who should I see but Master Dick himself, leaning over the low
cedar hedge, looking for us. He was out of her sight, and so I made
haste and picked a tiny stalk with but three blossoms and handed it to
her.

"Quick, quick, Miss Lisbet, dear!" I said, knowing well what the answer
would be. She asked quick enough, but when she stripped them, _yes,
no_--and stopped there, I saw that the third had somehow fallen off and
lay on her white lap. It gave me a turn, but she only brushed it away
and laughed softly.

"It _is_ foolish," she said, "isn't it, Rhoda? For there he is! Here,
Dick, this way!"

I started to leave them, but she wouldn't have it, and gave h