game, when he had been
called out, he had a letter from England for Miss Lindy Putnam.

As she raised her face to his for the kiss on the cheek that he gave
her, she said, "I was afraid you had not forgiven me, after all."

"Oh, yes, I have," said Quincy, and carried away by the excitement of
the occasion, he caught her again in his arms and gave her another kiss,
this time upon the lips.

At this instant Abner Stiles, who was tending door, opened it and called
out, "Takes a long time to pay the postage on one letter!"

A little later Quincy was again called out, and this time he had a
letter from Boston for Miss Mason. He kissed her on the cheek, as he had
done with Lindy. Huldy looked up with a laugh and said, "Were you as
bashful as that with Miss Putnam?"

"Yes," said Quincy, "at first, but there was double postage on her
letter, the same as on yours." And though Huldy tried to break away from
him he caught her and kissed her upon the lips, as he had done to Lindy.

Again Abner opened the door and cried out that the mails would close in
one minute, and he'd better get the stamps on that letter quick.

All such good times come to an end, and the signal for the close was the
return of Deacon Mason from his visit to town. He was popular with all
parties, and Stroutites, Anti-Stroutites, and neutrals all gathered
'round him and said they were having a beautiful time, and could they
have a little dance after supper?

The Deacon said he didn't know that dancing in itself was so bad, for
the Bible referred to a great many dances. "But," said he, "I have
always been agin permiscuous dancing."

"But we ain't permiscuous," said Tilly James. "We are all friends and
neighbors."

"Most all," said Strout; but his remark was unnoticed by all excepting
Quincy.

"Well, under the circumstances," concluded the Deacon, "I don't object
to your finishing up with an old-fashioned reel, and mother and me will
jine in with you, so as to countenance the perceedings."

The call was now made for supper. A procession was again formed, each
gentleman taking the lady who had accompanied him to the party. They all
filed into the dining-room and took their places around the long table.
The most of them looked at its contents with surprise and delight.
Instead of seeing only home-made cakes, and pies, and dishes of nuts,
and raisins, and apples, that they had expected, occupying the centre
of the table, they gazed upon a large frosted