f you to take me home,
Ben. I'm just beat out."

"Miss Upton's celebrated notions, I suppose," returned the young fellow
as the car started. "They get harder to select every year, perhaps."

"I've come home with just one notion this time," returned his companion
with sudden fierceness. "It is that I'm a fool."

"Now, Mehit, don't tell me you've fallen a prey in the gay metropolis
and lost a lot of money."

"That's nothin' to what has happened. I'm poor and I don't know what I'd
do if I lost money, but, Ben Barry, it's much worse than that."

"Look here, you're scaring me. I'm timid."

"If I'd seen you on the train I could have told you all about it; but
there isn't time now." In fact the motor was rapidly traversing the
short distance up the main street and was now approaching a shop on the
elm-shaded trolley track which bore across its front a sign reading:
"Upton's Notions and Fancy Goods."

Before Miss Mehitable disembarked, and this was a matter of some
moments, she turned wistfully to her companion.

"Ben, do you think your mother ever gets lonely?"

"I've never seen any sign of it. Why? What were you thinking of--that I
ought to give up the law school and come home and turn market-gardener?
I sometimes think I'd like it."

Miss Upton continued to study his clean-cut face wistfully.

"Don't she need a secretary, or a sort of a--a sort of a companion?"

"Why? Have you had about as much of Bright-Eyes as you can stand? Do you
want to make a present of her to some undeserving person?"

Miss Upton shook her head. "No, indeed, it ain't poor Charlotte I'm
thinkin' of, Ben," again speaking impressively. "Can you spare time to
come over and see me a little while to-morrow afternoon? I know your
mother always has a lot of young folks in for tea for you Sundays."

"She won't to-morrow. I told her I wanted to lie in the grass under the
apple-blossoms and compose sonnets; but your feelings will do just as
well."

"I must tell somebody, and you know Charlotte isn't sympathetic."

"No, except perhaps with a porcupine. You might try her with one of
those. Tether it in the back yard, and when she is in specially good
form turn her out there and let them sport together.--Easy now,
Mehit--easy." For Miss Upton's escort had jumped out and she was
essaying to leave the car.

"If I ever knew which foot to put first," she said desperately,
withdrawing the left and reaching down gingerly with her right.

"Let me hav