ly afraid of his Aunt. He had fully intended to be back in
the field before her return, and now, when her car appeared upon the
hill half-an-hour earlier than it should have come, he gave a start of
dismay.

"Great Ghosts," cried Marmaduke, "it's The Woman, sure as death!"

Trooper Tom gathered his long limbs together in one swift spasm, and
leaped to cover through the store door-way.

"I ain't a bit scairt of her, Tilly," he remarked to the store-keeper's
daughter, as he landed tumultuously against the counter, "but I just
remembered all of a sudden that I wanted to buy a box o' matches."

Tilly leaned against the counter and went off into a spasm of giggles,
while the car stormed past the store in a cloud of reproving dust.
Marmaduke reached his head around the door-post. "She's gone,
Trooper," he whispered, as though afraid that The Woman might hear,
"and, say, I guess you're goin' to have swell company. She's got a
passenger, and he waved his hat at me and yelled."

Trooper ventured out upon the veranda, followed by Tilly.

"Like as not he was yellin' for help," he suggested. "It's a man, sure
enough, Trooper," said Tilly, with a giggle. "Guess she's goin' to
give you the sack, and she's brought him out to do the seedin'."

"Too good to be true," sighed the young man mournfully. "'Most likely
it's an implement agent. The Woman's always buyin' something new made
o' wheels."

"She'll be gettin' a machine to wind you up and set you goin' at four
in the mornin'," said Duke comfortingly. "Sit down and have a smoke,
she'll know you're gone in a minit anyhow."

Meanwhile the car bumped across the little bridge that spanned the
creek and went storming up the opposite hill. And at the top of the
hill sat Christina Lindsay on the fence top wishing with all her might
and main that Mr. Opportunity would come out and meet her.

As soon as Mrs. Johnnie Dunn saw her, she stopped her car opposite the
stile with a word to the man at her side. He picked up his suit-case
and stepped hurriedly from the car.

"Hello, there, Christine!" shouted The Woman, over the stranger's
shoulder, "here's a man from Algonquin wants a place to board. Do you
think your mother'd take him?"

The stranger came forward looking intently at Christina, with a twinkle
in his eye. He was stout, with iron-grey hair. His bronzed face was
good to look at, and he had a loud hearty voice, and a breezy manner.
He raised his hat with elabora