," I cried--fancy my calling him Dick right to his face!
Jacky will never believe I really did it. He says I would never have
dared. But it wasn't daring at all, it was just forgetting. "Oh, Dick,
we didn't mean any harm. We thought you weren't getting on fast enough
and we wanted to stir you up like they do in books. We thought if we
made you jealous it would work all right. We didn't mean any harm. Oh,
please forgive us!"

I was just ready to cry. But that dear Dick leaned over the table and
patted my hand.

"There, there, it's all right. I understand and of course I forgive
you. Don't cry, sweetheart."

The way Dick said "sweetheart" was perfectly lovely. I envied Aunt
Tommy, and I wanted to keep on crying so that he would go on
comforting me.

"And you'll come back to see Aunt Tommy again?" I said.

Dick's face clouded over; he got up and walked around the room several
times before he said a word. Then he came and sat down beside me and
explained it all to me, just as if I were grown up.

"Sweetheart, we'll talk this all out. You see, it is this way. Your
Aunt Bertha is the sweetest woman in the world. But I'm only a poor
minister and I have no right to ask her to share my life of hard work
and self-denial. And even if I dared I know she wouldn't do it. She
doesn't care anything for me except as a friend. I never meant to tell
her I cared for her but I couldn't help going to Owlwood, even though
I knew it was a weakness on my part. So now that I'm out of the habit
of going I think it would be wisest to stay out. It hurts dreadfully,
but it would hurt worse after a while. Don't you agree with me, Miss
Elizabeth?"

I thought hard and fast. If I were in Aunt Tommy's place I mightn't
want a man to know I cried about him, but I was quite sure I'd rather
have him know than have him stay away because he didn't know. So I
spoke right up.

"No, I don't, Mr. Richmond; Aunt Tommy does care--you just ask her.
She cries every blessed night because you never come to Owlwood."

"Oh, Elizabeth!" said Dick.

He got up and stalked about the room again.

"You'll come back?" I said.

"Yes," he answered.

I drew a long breath. It was such a responsibility off my mind.

"Then you'd better come down with me right off," I said, "for Pinky
Carewe had her out driving last night and I want a stop put to that as
soon as possible. Even if he is rich he's a perfect pig."

Dick got his hat and came. We walked up the road in lo