when I was
young!"

"Oh," said Lynn, "I see." His mouth twitched and he glanced sideways at
his mother. She was bending over her work, and her lips did not move,
but he could see that her eyes smiled.

* * * * *

At exactly half-past seven, the expected guest was ushered into the
parlour. "Good evening, Doctor," said Miss Field, in her stately way; "I
assure you this is quite a pleasure." She presented him to Mrs. Irving
and Lynn, and motioned him to an easy-chair.

He was tall, straight, and seventy; almost painfully neat, and evidently
a gentleman of the old school.

"I trust you are well, madam?"

"I am always well," returned Aunt Peace. "If all the other old ladies in
East Lancaster were as well as I, you would soon be obliged to take down
your sign and seek another location."

The others took but small part in the conversation, which was never
lively, and which, indeed, might have been stilted by the presence of
strangers. It was the commonplace talk of little things, which
distinguishes the country town, and it lasted for half an hour. As the
clock chimed eight, Miss Field smiled at him significantly.

"Shall we play chess?" she asked.

"If the others will excuse us, I shall be charmed," he responded.

Soon they were deep in their game. Margaret went after a book she had
been reading, and the young people went to the library, where they could
talk undisturbed.

They played three games. Miss Field won the first and third, her
antagonist contenting himself with the second. It had always been so,
and for ten years she had taken a childish delight in her skill. "My
dear Doctor," she often said, "it takes a woman of brains to play
chess."

"It does, indeed," he invariably answered, with an air of gallantry.
Once he had been indiscreet and had won all three games, but that was in
the beginning and it had never happened since.

When the clock struck ten, he looked at his heavy, old-fashioned silver
watch with apparent surprise. "I had no idea it was so late," he said.
"I must be going!"

"Pray wait a moment, Doctor. Let me offer you some refreshment before
you begin that long walk. Iris?"

"Yes, Aunt Peace." The girl knew very well what was expected of her, and
dimples came and went around the corners of her mouth.

"Those little cakes that we had for tea--perhaps there may be one or two
left, and is there not a little wine?"

"I'll see."

Smiling at the pretty com