all the preparations for the grand wedding she had decreed they must
have.

And besides, the village needed two weeks, at least, to settle down
after the memorable night when they had almost lost their doctor. When
the boys arrived with the terrible news that he had been decoyed into
the Drowned Lands, every man in the community, and most of the women,
too, headed by Susan Winters, set off to his rescue. They found their
fears happily disappointed, however, and they carried him home in
triumph, and with him the man he had saved at the risk of his own life.
And the wonderful discovery that the stranger was Dr. Allen's oldest
and dearest friend, and that he was coming, all unknown, to marry
Arabella Winters--well! well! it was a caution if the foundations of
the village didn't give way altogether, and everything and everybody go
toppling over into Treasure Valley!

As if this were not excitement enough for a lifetime, right on top of
all that night's adventures came another shock. When the population of
Elmbrook returned, after the rescue of the doctor, Sawed-Off Wilmott
rushed through the village, wild-eyed, with the astounding news that
Ella Anne Long had disappeared with the ne'er-do-weel from Glenoro!
Granny Long lifted her voice above the general family bewailment to
declare that it was all Si's fault, for taking the spyglass with him
when he went to hunt the doctor; for if she had had it, Ella Anne would
never have got away without her knowledge--no, not even though it was
black midnight!

So there was a runaway match from Elmbrook on the first of June, after
all, even though little Miss Arabella was to be married in the proper
fashion. She was thankful for all the excitement and the talk and the
running to and fro, for they made it possible to keep her own proposed
elopement a profound secret. That Arabella should be preparing, all
unsuspected, for her wedding day was a surprise, of course, to every
one, especially Susan; but deep secrecy in such affairs was the general
rule, and caused no especial comment.

These two weeks before her marriage were magic days for the little
lilac lady. She found herself in a new atmosphere. From being of no
consequence at all to anybody, she had suddenly become the most
important member of the family, and she almost lost a sense of her own
identity when Susan consulted her as to the number of eggs to be put
into the wedding cake.

Susan, indeed, was deeply impressed.