id in a low whisper, "What was
that, Quincy? What does it mean?"

Quincy's heart jumped as his Christian name fell from the girl's lips.
He put his left hand over his heart (her picture was in the pocket just
beneath it) and said as naturally as he could, although with a little
tremor in his voice, "It's all right, Alice, that's Mr. Strout's idea of
a surprise party."

"A surprise party!" cried Huldy, "who for? Me?"

At this moment Mrs. Mason opened the door and entered the room.

"Huldy," said she, "Professor Strout wishes me to tell you that he and
his friends have come to give you a surprise party, and he wished me to
invite you," turning to the others, "as Huldy's friends to remain and
enjoy the festivities of the evening."

Then the poor old lady, who had been under a nervous strain for the past
ten days, and who had come nearer telling untruths than she ever had
before in her life, began to laugh, and then to cry, and finally sank
into a chair, overcome for the moment.

"I wish Abraham was here," said she, "I guess I'm getting a little bit
nervous."

Let us return to the great kitchen, which the members of the surprise
party now had in their possession. A dozen of the men produced lanterns,
which they lighted, and which were soon hung upon the walls of the
kitchen, one of the number having brought a hammer and some nails.

It was a pound party, and two young men fetched in a basket containing
the goodies which had been brought for the supper. Strout had made
arrangements to have the hot coffee made at the grocery store, and it
was to be brought down at half-past nine.

He arranged his party so that all could get a good view of the door
through which Huldy must come. He stepped forward within ten feet of the
door and stood expectantly. Why this delay? Strout looked around at the
party. There were Tilly James and Sam Hill; Cobb's twins, and each
brought a pretty girl; Robert Wood, Benjamin Bates, and Arthur Scates
were equally well supplied; Lindy Putnam, after much solicitation, had
consented to come with Emmanuel Howe, the clergyman's son, and he was in
the seventh heaven of delight; Mandy stood beside Hiram and his bugle,
and Samantha Green had Farmer Tompkins's son George for escort. It was a
real old-fashioned, democratic party. Clergymen's sons, farmers' sons,
girls that worked out, chore boys, farm hands, and an heiress to a
hundred thousand dollars, met on a plane of perfect equality without a
tho