happiness and success."

At the front door 'Zekiel and Huldy met Quincy. The latter had turned
Miss Very over to the care of Mrs. Maxwell, and had got one of the twins
to carry the young lady's trunk to her room, which was the one formerly
occupied by Mandy. He had then driven the carryall around to the barn
and was returning, anxious to bear his tidings of success to Alice, when
he met the departing couple.

"I hear you are going to leave us," said Huldy.

"Who told you?" inquired Quincy.

"Alice," replied Huldy; "and I told her she'd miss you very much when
you were gone."

"I am afraid," replied Quincy, "that any service that I have rendered
Miss Pettengill has not been of so important a nature that it would be
greatly missed. I am glad that I have succeeded in securing her a
companion and assistant of her own sex, which will much more than
compensate for the loss of my feeble services."

"That's what I don't like about city folks," said Huldy Pettengill, as
she walked along the path, hanging on her husband's arm.

"What's that?" asked 'Zekiel bluntly.

"Because," continued Huldy, "they use such big words to cover up their
real feelings. Of course, he wouldn't let on to us, but any one with
half an eye could see that he's head over heels in love with your
sister Alice, and he'd stand on his head if she told him to."

"Well, Alice is too sensible a girl to ask him to do that sort of
thing," said 'Zekiel frankly. "Any way, I don't believe she's in love
with him."

"'Twould be a great match for her," said Huldy.

"I don't know 'bout that. On general principles, I don't believe in
country girls marryin' city fellers."

"I know you don't," said Huldy, and she gave his arm a little squeeze.

"But," continued 'Zekiel, "Alice is different from most country girls.
Besides, she's lived in the city and knows city ways. Anyway, I sha'n't
interfere; I know Mr. Sawyer is a respectable young man, and, by George!
when he wants to do anything, don't he jest put it through. The way he
sarcumvented that Strout was as good as a circus."

"I think I sarcumvented that Strout, too," said Huldy, as they reached
the corner of Deacon Mason's front fence.

"You've been quite a little flirt in your day," remarked 'Zekiel, "but
it's all over now;" and he squeezed the little hand that stole
confidingly into his big, brawny one.

Quincy at once entered the parlor and found Alice seated in her
accustomed easy-chair.

"You have