a
piece of news, but because of the astonishing fact that no one but those
intimately interested had previously known of the offer.

"Why in the world," said Becky Blount, expressing the opinion of what
Captain Jethro Hallett would have called her "tribe," "he felt 'twas
necessary to hide it as if 'twas something to be ashamed of, _I_ don't
see. Most folks would have been proud to be offered such a chance.
But that Nelse Howard's queer, anyhow. Stuck-up, I call him; and Lulie
Hallett's the same way. She nor him won't have anything to do with
common folks in this town. And it'll be worse NOW."

This was quite untrue, of course, for Lulie and Nelson were extremely
friendly with all except the Blounts, Marietta Hoag, and a few more of
their kind. The solid, substantial people in the village liked them,
just as they liked and respected Martha Phipps. These people took pains
to congratulate young Howard and to whisper a hope to Lulie that her
father's unreasonable opposition to the former might be lessened by the
news of his advancement.

Primmie, returning home with the sensation, was disappointed to find it
no sensation at all. Lulie had told both Miss Phipps and Galusha shortly
after Nelson told her. She had told her father also, but he had not
expressed gratification. Instead, the interview between them had ended
unpleasantly.

"The first thing he did," said Lulie, when telling the story to her
confidants at the Phipps' home, "was to ask me how I knew about it. I
told him that Nelson told me."

Martha lifted her brows. "My!" she exclaimed. "You did?"

"Yes, I did. I don't know why exactly. Somehow I felt just then as if I
didn't care."

"And what did he say?"

"He didn't say as much as I thought he would. He turned and stared at
me under those big eyebrows of his, and then he said: 'When did you see
him?' I said, 'Yesterday.' 'When did you see him before that?' I said,
'About a week ago. Nelson and I usually see each other about once a
week, father,' I told him."

"My!" exclaimed Martha, again. "That was plain enough, to be sure."

"Yes, wasn't it? I wonder now that I had the courage. He didn't flare up
as I expected he would, as I am sure he would have done last fall, for
instance. He just looked and looked at me. Then he said: 'Are you really
planning to marry that fellow, Lulie?' I thought that as I had gone so
far, I might as well go the rest, so I said: 'Yes, father, some day.
Not as long as you want m