dare trust to chance, so when I got Emmeline safely
to work on my comfort I excused myself and slipped out. Luckily my
kitchen was on the off side of the house, but I was a nervous woman as I
rushed across to the Strong place and dashed up Emmeline's garret stairs
to Stephen. It was fortunate I had come, for he didn't know we had gone.
Prissy had hidden him behind the loom and he didn't dare move for
fear Emmeline would hear him on that creaky floor. He was a sight with
cobwebs.

I got him down and smuggled him into our barn, and he stayed there until
it was dark and the Strong girls had gone home. Emmeline began to rage
at Prissy the moment they were outside my door.

Then Stephen came in and we talked things over. He and Prissy had made
good use of their time, short as it had been. Prissy had promised to
marry him, and all that remained was to get the ceremony performed.

"And that will be no easy matter," I warned him. "Now that Emmeline's
suspicions are aroused she'll never let Prissy out of her sight until
you're married to another woman, if it's years. I know Emmeline Strong.
And I know Prissy. If it was any other girl in the world she'd run away,
or manage it somehow, but Prissy never will. She's too much in the habit
of obeying Emmeline. You'll have an obedient wife, Stephen--if you ever
get her."

Stephen looked as if he thought that wouldn't be any drawback. Gossip
said that Althea had been pretty bossy. I don't know. Maybe it was so.

"Can't you suggest something, Rosanna?" he implored. "You've helped us
so far, and I'll never forget it."

"The only thing I can think of is for you to have the license ready, and
speak to Mr. Leonard, and keep an eye on our ventilator," I said. "I'll
watch here and signal whenever there's an opening."

Well, I watched and Stephen watched, and Mr. Leonard was in the plot,
too. Prissy was always a favourite of his, and he would have been more
than human, saint as he is, if he'd had any love for Emmeline, after the
way she was always trying to brew up strife in the church.

But Emmeline was a match for us all. She never let Prissy out of her
sight. Everywhere she went she toted Prissy, too. When a month had gone
by, I was almost in despair. Mr. Leonard had to leave for the Assembly
in another week and Stephen's neighbours were beginning to talk about
him. They said that a man who spent all his time hanging around the yard
with a spyglass, and trusting everything to a hired