it.

"Martin Heaslip--I like the sound of it. And he's rich, too. Why, it
seems too good to be true."

Miss Arabella glanced up quickly, and a look of apprehension came over
her radiant face. "That's just what I can't help thinking, Elsie.
Don't it seem too good to happen to me?"

"Pooh! Nonsense!" laughed the other, with the sure hopefulness of
youth. "Of course it'll happen. You must take your dress to Mrs. Long
right away, and she and Ella Anne----"

"No! no! _no_!" Miss Arabella sat up straight, her eyes dilated with
fear. "No, nobody's to know a whisper about it. Not anybody! Mind,
Elsie, you promised. Oh, Elsie, you did!"

"Yes, yes, Arabella!" cried the girl, alarmed at the agitation she had
aroused. "But who's to make your dress and give you a wedding? They
must all know some time."

"No, there's nobody to know until it's all over. Once, just after he
went West, he wrote and ast me to come out, an' he sent the money,
an'--an'--Susan wouldn't let me go! She made me send the money back.
She said I wasn't strong enough to go out and live there,
and--she--meant it for kindness, you know, Elsie, but--he--I guess he
felt bad." Miss Arabella carefully covered the blue silk from harm,
for the tears were dropping again. "Anyhow, it, made him think he'd
got to get things fixed up awful grand for me, or else he'd 'a' sent
for me long ago. And Susan wouldn't let me go this time--I know she
wouldn't. She'd say I was too old for such foolishness. Do you think
I look awful old, Elsie?" she asked piteously.

"Oh, Arabella, dear! No! no! You look young and as pretty as a
picture!" she exclaimed, truthfully. "But, Arabella"--her brow
puckered worriedly--"if no one knows, how are you going to do it?"

"I'm going to write and tell him to come for me, and never let on to
any one, an' we'll--we'll--what do you call it when they run away?"

"Not elope, Arabella!" cried Elsie in dismay.

"Yes, that's it. We'll elope," said Miss Arabella calmly.

The girl looked at her, and for an instant the vision of the shy,
drooping little woman figuring in a runaway match filled her with a
desire for laughter. But it was quenched the next instant by the
gravity of the situation. What did Elsie know of this man, after all?
What if the innocent little child-woman were being deceived! That
feeling she often experienced, of being far older than Arabella, took
possession of her.

"Arabella," she said gravely, b