n the one eyebrow was finished, and when Jael
Dence had come to look on Saturday and Monday as the only real days in
the week, and when even Grace Carden was brighter on those days, and
gliding into a gentle complacent custom, suddenly a Saturday came and
went, but Little did not appear.

Jaet was restless.

Grace was disappointed, but contented to wait till Monday.

Monday came and went, but no Henry Little.

Jael began to fret and sigh; and, after two more blank weeks, she could
bear the mystery no longer. "If you please, miss," said she, "shall I go
to that place where he works?"

"Where who works?" inquired Grace, rather disingenuously.

"Why, the dark young man, miss," said Jael, blushing deeply.

Grace reflected and curiosity struggled with discretion; but discretion
got the better, being aided by self-respect. "No, Jael," said she; "he
is charming, when he is here; but, when he gets away, he is not always
so civil as he might be. I had to go twice after him. I shall not go nor
send a third time. It really is too bad of him."

"Dear heart," pleaded Jael, "mayhap he is not well."

"Then he ought to write and say so. No, no; he is a radical, and full
of conceit; and he has done this one eyebrow, and then gone off laughing
and saying, 'Now, let us see if the gentry can do the other amongst
them.' If he doesn't come soon, I'll do the other eyebrow myself."

"Mayhap he will never come again," said Jael.

"Oh, yes, he will," said Grace, mighty cunningly; "he is as fond of
coming here as we are of having him. Not that I'm at all surprised; for
the fact is, you are very pretty, extremely pretty, abominably pretty."

"I might pass in Cairnhope town," said Jael, modestly, "but not here.
The moon goes for naught when the sun is there. He don't come here for
me."

This sudden elegance of language, and Jael's tone of dignified
despondency, silenced Grace, somehow, and made her thoughtful. She
avoided the subject for several days. Indeed, when Saturday came, not a
word was said about the defaulter: it was only by her sending for Jael
to sit with her, and by certain looks, and occasional restlessness, she
betrayed the slightest curiosity or expectation.

Jael sat and sewed, and often looked quickly up at the window, as some
footstep passed, and then looked down again and sighed.

Young Little never came. He seemed to have disappeared from both their
lives; quietly disappeared.

Next day, Sunday, Jael came to M