r lord into his public clothes. Elihu forgot
the knot, and brought it in after he had assumed the garb of ceremony;
and then he had to be fussily brushed from possible sawdust, while
Amarita, an anxious frown on her brow, wondered why mother Meade always
would distract him at the most important points. The fire was laid, but
Elihu was one of those who believe in their own personal magic over a
blaze, and he had to adjust the knot and touch off the kindling and
watch the result a minute, to be sure the chimney had not caught. By the
time he had harnessed and had appeared again to wash his hands and don
his greatcoat, two other sleighs had gone by, bearing town fathers to
the trysting-place. Amarita was nervous. She knew Elihu liked to be
beforehand with his duties. But at last, his roll of plans in hand, he
was proceeding down the path, slipping a little, for the thaw had made
it treacherous, to the gate where the horse was hitched, and Amarita,
at the sitting-room window, watched him. Old Mis' Meade came up behind
her, and she too watched.

Elihu was uncovering the horse. Amarita turned from her mother-in-law
with a noiseless rush and flew out of the front door and down the
slippery path.

"Elihu!" she called, with all the voice excitement left her. "Elihu, you
come here. I've got to speak to you."

Elihu left the horse and came with long strides up the path, taking, as
he hurried, glances at the roof.

"Roarin', is it?" he asked. "You think the chimbley's ketched?"

The roll of plans stuck out from his coat pocket. That was all Amarita
could see. She laid hands upon him and drew him into the entry. There
she shut the door and then stood with her grasp upon the other door,
leading into the sitting-room, and held it tight. She was afraid mother
Meade might come out to see what was the matter. Amarita leaned against
the casing. In spite of the brightness of her eyes, she looked faint and
sick. It seemed to be her grasp upon the latch that kept her now from
falling.

"O Elihu!" she said. He was questioning her with puzzled eyes. "O Elihu!
I've been awful mean to you." Her hold on the latch relaxed, and she
sat down on the packing-case between them. "When I told you about the
box the man left, and you seemed to think I didn't know enough to come
in when it rained, I said next time you made any kind of a mistake I'd
let it go, no matter who's goin' to laugh at you. And when it come to
your plans"--she stopped here, an