in that
same night. All kinds and conditions and sorts of talks that only two
lovers enjoy, and for which only two lovers can find the material.

Sometimes she thought he might be too lonely and neglected at the
log-cabin. Then she would make believe she was going to ask daddy to
let them be married right away, insisting that two rooms were enough
for them, and that she herself would do the washing and ironing and the
cooking, at which Jack would laugh over the joy of it all, conjuring up
in his mind the pattern of apron she would wear and how pretty her bare
arms would be bending over the tub, knowing all the time that he would
no more have allowed her to do any one of these things than he would
have permitted her to chop the winter's wood.

Most of these day dreams, plots, and imaginings were duly reported by
letter to Miss Felicia to see what she thought of them all. For the
dear lady's opposition had long since broken down. In these letters
Ruth poured out her heart as she did to no one except Jack; each missive
interspersed with asides as to how dear Jack was, and how considerate,
and how it would not be a very long time before she would soon get the
other half of the dear lady's laces, now that daddy and Jack (the boy
had been given an interest in the business) were going to make lots of
money on the new work--to all of which Miss Felicia replied that love
in a garret was what might be expected of fools, but that love in a
log-cabin could only be practised by lunatics.

It was toward the close of this pre-honey-moon--it lasted only ten
days, but it was full moon every hour and no clouds--when, early one
morning--before nine o'clock, really--a night message was handed to
Jack. It had been sent to the brick office, but the telegraph boy,
finding that building closed and abandoned, had delivered it to Mrs.
Hicks, who, discovering it to be sealed, forwarded it at once, and by
the same hand, to the MacFarlane house, known now to everybody as
the temporary headquarters, especially in the day time, of the young
superintendent who was going to marry the daughter--"and there ain't a
nicer, nor a better, nor a prettier."

On this morning, then, the two had planned a day in the woods back of
the hills; Ruth's mare was to be hooked up to a hired buggy, and such
comforts as a bucket of ice, lettuce sandwiches thin as wafers, a cold
chicken, a spirit lamp, teapot, and cups and saucers, not to mention a
big shawl for my swee