the thing now. She's out of our hands."

They wrote giving their consent, and the wedding was fixed for late
September to enable the fall's work to be put out of the way. For
Elga's sake they bought new suits and hats before starting on their
trip, though the harvest hardly justified any extravagance.

Under other circumstances they would have rejoiced over the trip, for
it was carrying them back to the gleam of leaf-dappled streams and
waving trees and deep, cool forests. It made their nostrils dilate with
pleasure as they whirled past fern-filled ravines, out of which the
rivulets stole with stealthy circuits under mossy rocks. They were both
forest-born, and it was like getting back home out of a strange desert
country to come back into "the States."

St. Peter was a small town, situated on the steep bank of a broad
river--that is to say, the business street was there, but the seminary
and the residence part of the town was on a high and beautiful plateau.
Tho country was well diversified with wood and prairie.

Kendall and Elga met them at the station. Elga with flushed face was
searching the car-windows with eager glance, when Anson appeared on the
platform. The quick rush she made for him drove out all his bitterness.
It made him understand that she loved him as if he were her father.

She greeted Bert with a little less warmth, and chattering with joy she
led the way up the street with Anson. She had a hundred things to tell
him, and he listened in a daze. She seemed so different from his
Flaxen. Bert walked behind with Kendall, who did not impress him
favourably.

He was a harmless little creature enough--small, a little inclined to
bow-legs, and dudish in manner and dress. His hair was smoothed till it
shone like ebony, and he wore the latest designs in standing collars,
high on his slim neck. His hands were beautifully small and white and
held several rings. He had the manners of a dry-goods clerk.

"He can't abuse her, that's one good thing about the whelp," thought
Bert as he crushed the young bridegroom's hand in his brown palm, just
to see him cringe.

As for Kendall, he was a little afraid of these big fellows, so sullen
and strong; and he tried his best to please them, chirping away
brightly upon all kinds of things, ending up by telling them his
business plans.

"We're one o' the best cities on the river. Couldn't be a better place
fer a business stand, don't you see? And we're getting to th