ort o' frightened. I never, never
thought that such good could come to me."

"We're engaged, that is if we can be straight and above-board,"
answered Jim; "but first I must know what about Sampson. He has asked
you to be his wife, hasn't he?"

"Yes, yes. Oh, don't trouble about him. Sit close to me, can't you,
and kiss me again."

"I must know about Sampson first," said Jim. "Have you given him a
promise?"

"Not yet, I don't love him a bit, you see; but when I thought you'd
never come forward, and that all your heart was given to Alison
Reed----"

Jim shuddered and drew himself away from Louisa.

"I thought," she continued, "that George Sampson would be better than
nobody, so I told him he might come for his answer to-night, and he'll
get it too. He always knew that I loved yer. Why, he even said so.
He said to me, not a week ago, 'You can't win him, Louisa, so don't
waste your breath on him, but come to an honest fellow what loves yer,
and who don't think nothing of any other gel.'"

"But doesn't it seem hard on the honest fellow?" said Jim, with a smile.

"Oh, no, it don't! Do you think I'd look at him after what you have
said? Oh, I'm so happy! Sit by me, and tell me when you first thought
of throwing over Alison Reed for me?"

"Listen," said Jim. "There is nothing now between Alison and me. I'll
try to make you a good mate; I will try to do everything to make you
happy, and to give you back love for love; but if you value our future
happiness, you must make me a promise now."

"What's that?" she asked, looking up at him, frightened at the
solemnity in his tone.

"You must never talk of Alison to me. Promise, do you hear?"

"Oh, why not? You can't care for her a bit, or you wouldn't come to
me."

"I like you most--I wouldn't ask you to marry me if I didn't; but I
won't talk of Alison. If you can't have me without bringing up her
name, say so at once, and everything shall be at an end between us.
Now you have got to choose. Alison's name is not to pass yer lips to
me. We are not to talk of her, do you understand? Do you promise?"

"I promise anything--anything, if you will only kiss me again."

CHAPTER XII.

The next day it was all over the place that Jim Hardy and Louisa Clay
were engaged. Harry heard the news as he was coming home from doing a
message for Grannie; Grannie heard it when she went shopping; Alison
heard it from the boy who sold the milk--in short, this litt