r. "I know you must not suffer for my sake. But you cannot mean
that we are not to meet at all after this?"

"Only at chance times," faltered Tillie; "that is all."

Very simply and somewhat constrainedly they said good-by the next
morning, Fairchilds to go to his work at William Penn and Tillie to
drive out with her Uncle Abe to meet her father's displeasure.

XXI

"I'LL MARRY HIM TO-MORROW!"

Mr. Getz had plainly given Absalom to understand that he did not want
him to sit up with Tillie, as he "wasn't leaving her marry." Absalom
had answered that he guessed Tillie would have something to say to that
when she was "eighteen a'ready." And on the first Sunday evening after
her return home he had boldly presented himself at the farm.

"That's where you'll get fooled, Absalom, fur she's been raised to mind
her pop!" Mr. Getz had responded. "If she disobeyed to my word, I
wouldn't give her no aus styer. I guess you wouldn't marry a girl where
wouldn't bring you no aus styer!"

Absalom, who was frugal, had felt rather baffled at this threat.
Nevertheless, here he was again on Sunday evening at the farm to assure
Tillie that HE would stand by her, and that if she was not restored to
membership in the meeting, he wouldn't give himself up, either.

Mr. Getz dared not go to the length of forbidding Absalom his house,
for that would have meant a family feud between all the Getzes and all
the Puntzes of the county. He could only insist that Tillie "dishearten
him," and that she dismiss him not later than ten o'clock. To almost
any other youth in the neighborhood, such opposition would have proved
effectual. But every new obstacle seemed only to increase Absalom's
determination to have what he had set out to get.

To-night he produced another book, which he said he had bought at the
second-hand book-store in Lancaster.

"'Cupid and Psyche,'" Tillie read the title. "Oh, Absalom, thank you.
This is lovely. It's a story from Greek mythology--I've been hearing
some of these stories from the teacher"--she checked herself, suddenly,
at Absalom's look of jealous suspicion.

"I'm wonderful glad you ain't in there at the HOtel no more," he said.
"I hadn't no fair chancet, with Teacher right there on the GROUNDS."

"Absalom," said Tillie, gravely, with a little air of dignity that did
not wholly fail to impress him, "I insist on it that you never speak of
the teacher in that way in connection with me. You might as well sp