od looking at herself in the
glass.

"There now, he can't be cross after that," she said, feeling more as if
she were her real self than she had done for many months.

Jack was restless and cried. Elizabeth turned to him with a start.

"You blessed baby! Your mother was way off and had forgotten that there
was such a small person as you."

She sat down and nursed him again to fill in the time till his father
should come and dress. This time he seemed sleepy, and Elizabeth sang
happily to him, kissing his pink palm and satisfying the maternal instinct
in her by softly stroking his plump body. He had never looked so fair to
her in all the months that she had had him. John was long in coming and
she fell into a dreamy state of maternal comfort as she rocked, and forgot
the hour and the place and the dinner that would soon be waiting at Aunt
Susan's, till the baby went to sleep in her arms.

When Jack was at last soundly asleep she placed him on the bed, covering
him with a piece of white mosquito netting to keep the flies from
disturbing him, and, rearranging dress and ribbons, went into the sitting
room to see what time it was. An exclamation of dismay escaped her. It was
but ten minutes to twelve o'clock! She had dreamed much longer than she
had been aware. In a fever of hurry she ran back to the bedroom and laid
out John's best suit. That had pleasant associations also. But what could
be keeping him so long when it was time to go? As soon as everything was
in order she ran to the barn to see what the trouble was. John came out as
she neared the barn door, talking to Jake, who followed leisurely.

"Are you ready to dress?" she asked hastily, vexed at the signs of
loitering.

"Dress? Why--what? Oh, I forgot. I told you I didn't want to go," he said
impatiently.

"Well, you're going to take me if it is late," she said firmly. "Aunt
Susan was told that we'd come, and she has dinner waiting this minute.
Jake, put the horses in the wagon while Mr. Hunter dresses, and be as
quick about it as you can."

"The horses--th' horses are in th' pasture, Lizzie," Jake said hesitantly.
"I didn't know an'--an'--I--an' we turned 'em out an hour ago."

Jake Ransom saw the colour die out of the young face and understood
exactly what had happened. He saw her turn without a look at her husband
and start to the house, bowed and broken and without hope. Jake understood
that a trick had been played on her, for he had been slow about t