re always right."

"Mr. Farvel, we congratulate you!--Don't we, dear?"

"Congratulations."

Something in Sue's face made Farvel reach out his hand to her. She
took it mechanically. Thus they stood, but not looking at each other.

Once more Mrs. Milo was playfully teasing. "Why shouldn't we all know
that you had a wife?" she twittered. It was as if she had added, "You
bad, bad boy!"

"Yes," said Sue. "Why not? Rectors do have them. There's no canon
against it." She laughed tremulously, and dropped his hand.

Clare tossed her head. "There ought to be!" she declared.

At that, Mrs. Milo threw out both arms dramatically. "Oh! Oh, dear!"
she cried. "I've just thought of something!"

"I'll bet!" Clare turned, instantly apprehensive.

"Save it, mother!" begged Sue, eager to avert whatever might be
impending; "--save it till we get home. Come! Mr. and Mrs. Farvel
will have things to talk over." And to the clergyman, "We'll take Mr.
Balcome and go on ahead."

"Now wait!" bade Mrs. Milo, gently. "Why are you so impetuous,
daughter? Why don't you listen to your mother? Why do you take it for
granted that I want to make Mrs. Farvel unhappy?"--this in a chiding
aside.

"I don't, mother."

"Indeed, I am greatly concerned about her. She believed her husband
dead, poor girl. And now"--with a sudden, disconcerting turn on
Clare--"what about your engagement?"

"I'm--I'm not engaged!" As she sprang up, the girl pressed both hands
against the wine-colored velveteen of her skirt, hiding them. "I never
said I was! Oh, I wish you'd mind your own business!"

"Mother! Mother!" pleaded Sue. "It was you who said it. Not
Miss--Mrs. Farvel. Don't you remember?"

"How _could_ I be engaged?" She was emboldened by Sue's help. "I knew
he wasn't--dead."

Farvel laughed a little bitterly. "You mean, no such luck, don't you,
Laura?" he asked. "Well, then,--I've got some good news for you."

"What? What?"--with a sudden, eager movement toward him.

"When five years had passed, and no word had come from you, though we
all felt that you were alive, your brother--in order to settle the
estate--had you declared legally dead. And naturally, that--that----"

"I'm free!" She put up both hands, and lifted her face--almost as if
in prayerful thanksgiving. "I'm free! I'm free!" Then she gave way
to boisterous laughter, and fell to walking to and fro, waving her
arms, and turning her head from side to side.