hen he was with me he could see her, and when
he was with her I pouted at him, even over Judge Wade's arm. I verily
believe it was from being really jealous that he asked little Pet Buford
to dance with him--by mistake as it were.

And how I did enjoy it all, every single minute of it! My heart beat
time to the music as if it would never tire of doing so. Miss Clinton
and I exchanged little laughs and scraps of conversation in between
times, and I fell deeper and deeper in love with her. Every pound I have
melted and frozen and starved off me has brought me nearer to her, and
I just _can't_ think about how I am going to hurt her in a few days
now. I put the thought from me, and so let myself swing out into
thoughtlessness with one of the boys.

This has been a happy night, in which I betrothed myself to Alfred,
though he doesn't know it yet. I am going to take it as a sign that life
for us is going to be brilliant and gay, and full of laughter and love.

I haven't had Billy in my arms to-day, and I don't know how I shall ever
get myself to sleep if I let myself think about it. His sleep-place on
my breast aches. It is a comfort to think that the great big God
understands the women folk that He makes, even if they don't understand
themselves.

Leaf VI.

Conflagration.

Most parties are just bunches of selfish people who go off in the
corners and have good times all by themselves; but in Hillsboro it is
not that way. Everybody that is not invited helps the hostess get ready
and have nice things for the others, and sometimes I think they really
have the best time of all.

This morning Aunt Bettie came up my front steps before breakfast
with a large basketful of things for my dinner, and I wondered what
I would have collected to be served to those people by the time all my
neighbours had made their prize contributions. It took Aunt Bettie and
Jane a half-hour to unpack her things and set them in the refrigerator
and on the pantry shelves. One was a plump fruit-cake that had been
keeping company, in a tight box, with other equally rich cakes ever
since the New Year. It was ripe, or smelt so. It made me feel very
hungry.

A little later Jane was exclaiming over a two-year-old ham that had been
simmered in some wonderful liquor and larded with egg dressing, when
Mrs. Johnson came in and began to unpack her basket.

I had planned to have a lot of food and had ordered some things up from
a caterer in the city