pe not. Jeb is such a _good_ hand. Father would never know what
to do without him. Perhaps we'd best tell father of your suspicions,"
cried Polly, deeply concerned.

"No, no! Don't bother father. I'll take care of Jeb. You just see that
he keeps quiet, to-night, wherever he goes to smoke his pipe."

Innocent Polly then sought for Eleanor, who had been called to the
kitchen by Sary. Polly found her giving a plaid ribbon and a corsage
nosegay to Sary. But it developed that the maid had higher aspirations
than ribbon and flowers.

"Miss Nolla, Ah see'd a figgered dress a-hangin' from the hook in yur
room, one day. No one never wears it, an' Ah wuz wonderin' ef it was
yur's, er Miss Bob's, er Miss Anne's?"

"Oh, that is a striped dimity that mother must have packed by mistake.
It happens to be one of _hers_, so we hung it back in the corner till we
go home again."

"Ah s'pose yur Maw woulden mind much ef she lent it to me fer
to-night--eh?" hinted Sary.

"I don't suppose mother will ever think of it again, as it is last
year's style, anyway. I'll take the risk of _giving_ it to you, Sary, if
you promise never to let Bob know where it went."

"Oh, Ah shore will promise, Miss Nolla! And Ah kin tell you-all Ah'll be
the happiest gal in the West, to-night!" Sary said, giggling like a
veritable school-girl.

Polly watched her depart with the coveted dress over her arm, then she
turned to Eleanor. "All the help are going crazy, it seems to me!"

About half an hour later, Sary was seen stealing from the kitchen door,
and tip-toeing over the brick pathway towards the "Second-best" hammock
that always swung behind the lilac bushes. It was a nice little retreat
for any one wishing to take a nap on a sultry afternoon, but Polly had
never known Sary to have a weakness for swinging.

"Do you know, Nolla, if I didn't have to watch for Jeb, I'd just love to
follow after Sary and see what she is up to," said Polly to Eleanor, as
both girls sat alone on the porch steps.

"Jeb! Why, I saw him come from the barn all dressed up in his church
clothes. He turned down the Shrubbery Walk," replied Eleanor.

"Did he have his pipe?" asked Polly, anxiously.

"No, he looked around at every step as if to make sure no one was
following him."

"Dear me! I promised John I'd keep my eye on him!" cried Polly,
distressed beyond words.

"What's the matter? I can show you where he went," said Eleanor,
comfortingly.

So she led Polly to the