can't understand what gave you and the whole
town the idea that there was any falling out between Mr. Pettengill and
myself. We have grown up together, we have always loved each other very
much, and we have been engaged to be married--"

"Since when?" broke in the Professor, excitedly.

"Since the day before I last engaged you to give me music lessons,"
replied Huldy.

What the Professor would have said in reply to this will never be known;
for at that moment Mrs. Mason opened the door, and looking in, said,
"The Deacon's come."

Strout grasped his hat, and with a hurried bow and "Good morning" to
Huldy, left the room, closing the door behind him. It must be said for
the Professor that he bore defeat with great equanimity, and when he
reached the great kitchen and shook hands with Deacon Mason, who had
just come in from the barn, the casual observer would have noticed
nothing peculiar in his expression.

"Waal, Deacon," said he in a low tone, "did you git the money?"

"Oh, I've 'ranged 'bout the money," said the Deacon; "but I had a talk
with my lawyer, and he said it wasn't good bizness for me to pay over
the five hundred dollars till the store was actually knocked down to
you. Here's that note of yourn that the town clerk endorsed las' night.
Neow, when the auctioneer says the store is yourn I'll give yer the five
hundred dollars and take the note. I'll be up to the auction by
half-past two, so you needn't worry, it'll be jest the same as though
yer had the money in yer hand."

Strout looked a little disturbed; but thinking the matter over quickly,
he decided that he had nothing to gain by arguing the question with the
Deacon; so saying, "Be sure and be on hand, Deacon, for it's a sure
thing my gettin' that store, if I have the cash to pay down," he left
the house.

He went up the hill and turned the corner on the way back to his
boarding house. When he got out of sight of the Deacon's house he
stopped, clenched his hands, shut his teeth firmly together and stamped
his foot on the ground; then he ejaculated in a savage whisper, "Women
are wussern catamounts; you know which way a catamount's goin' to jump.
I wonder whether she was honest about that, or whether she's been
foolin' me all this time; she'll be a sorry girl when I git that store
and 'lected tax collector, and git app'inted postmaster. I've got three
tricks left, ef I have lost two. I wonder who it was put that idea into
the Deacon's head not ter