Mrs. Mason.

"You must really excuse us this time," protested Quincy. "Some other
time perhaps Miss Pettengill will accept your hospitality."

"But when?" asked Mrs. Mason. "We might as well fix a time right now."

"Yes," said Huldy, "and we won't let them go till they promise."

"Well, my plan," said Mrs. Mason, "is this. Have 'Zekiel and Alice and
Mr. Sawyer come over next Monday afternoon about five o'clock, and we
will have tea at six, and we will have some music in the evening. I have
so missed your singing, Mr. Sawyer, since you went away."

"Yes," said Huldy, "I think it is real mean of you, Alice, not to let
him come and see us oftener."

Alice flushed and stammered, "I--I--I do not keep him from coming to see
you. Why, yes, I have too," said she, as a thought flashed through her
mind. "I will tell you the truth, Mrs. Mason. Mr. Sawyer offered to do
some writing for me, and I have kept him very busy."

She stopped and Quincy continued:

"I did do a little writing for her, Mrs. Mason, during the great
snowstorm, and it was as great a pleasure to me, as I hope it was a help
to her, for I had nothing else to do."

"Well," said Mrs. Mason, "you can settle that matter between yer. All
that Huldy and me wants to know is, will all three of you come and take
tea with us next Monday night?"

"I shall be greatly pleased to do so," said Quincy.

"If 'Zekiel will come, I will," said Alice, and Quincy for an instant
felt a slight touch of wounded feeling because Alice had ignored him
entirely in accepting the invitation.

As they drove home, Alice said: "Mrs. Mason managed that nicely, didn't
she? I didn't wish to appear too eager to come, for Huldy might have
suspected."

"What mystery is this?" asked Quincy. "I really don't know what you are
talking about."

"What!" said Alice. "Didn't 'Zekiel tell you about the surprise party
that Mr. Strout was getting up, and that you, 'Zekiel, and I were not to
be invited?"

"Oh! I see," said Quincy. "How stupid I have been! I knew all about it
and that it was to be next Monday, but Mrs. Mason asked us so honestly
to come to tea, and Huldy joined in so heartily, that for the time being
I got things mixed, and besides, to speak frankly, Miss Pettengill, I
was thinking of something else."

"And what was it?" asked Alice.

"Well," said Quincy, determined to break the ice, "I will tell you. I
was wondering why you said you would come to tea if 'Zekiel would come."