now," she said, "and I
came alone through the fields."

Abner caught up his hat while she was donning cloak and hood.

"Let's walk part way with Betsy," cried Lucindy. "Come, Lucy, an' you
too, Cissy. Maybe we'll meet ma comin' home." But Susan said she must
attend to supper; nor would she let the twins go.

"Instead of taking the short cut through the fields, let's go around by
the woods, dearest," Abner proposed as soon as he and Betsy had set out
on their walk.

"Very well, we have plenty of time," she agreed happily. "There's no
telling when we may have another such chance, and I have much to say to
you. You may walk as far as the upper woods with me, if you are good."

"No farther than that?" he asked reproachfully.

"Only to the bars this time, I think, dear," she answered gently,
slipping her hand into his.

In spite of her loving little gesture, he still looked gloomy. "Oh,
these long, wretched weeks when I have so hungered for a sight of your
face and the sound of your voice!" he presently exclaimed. "And now
when I am at last alone with you, you appoint boundaries and limits,
and place restrictions upon my walk with you!" and he grasped her hand
in a tighter clasp and looked at her somewhat sternly. "Oh, my
darling," he broke off, as she turned a wistful, tearful gaze upon him,
"forgive my harsh words," and he gathered her into his arms and kissed
her tenderly. "It is only because I love you so passionately, my life,
my sweetest one. Won't you speak to me, dearest?" he asked, as she
continued silent.

"'Speech is silver, silence is golden,' according to some wise
authority," Betsy at last said meaningly and rather reproachfully,
although she smiled faintly and looked at him with love-lit eyes.

"But the oracle, when he uttered that bit of questionable wisdom,
wasn't, I dare say, walking with his sweetheart after dreary weeks of
separation," said Abner, squeezing her hand. "If he had, he would have
preferred silvery speech to golden silence--or, rather, the utterances
of his beloved one would have been to him as doubly refined gold; and
I'm perfectly certain that his sweetheart could not have compared with
my piquant, peerless Betty. Besides, you declared awhile ago that you
had much to say to me."

"So I had, Sir Flatterer," the girl answered with a radiant smile, her
momentary sadness completely banished by his fond words, "but at the
present moment the delight of being in your improving society