he
street, when Maud saw him, and was just in time to prevent him from
being run over by a heavy wagon drawn by a pair of horses that were
being driven at a breakneck pace past the house. Of course the fair Maud
screamed, young women generally do at such times; but she saved George
all the same. Her piercing shriek brought the stately Miss Sibley and
her mother to the door of their house, which is almost directly opposite
Dan's, and also caused Mrs. Mitchell and Mrs. Bell to become so nervous
that they kept their children in the house for the rest of the day, when
they heard of the dangerous adventure George had had, for they both
arrived too late to witness the rescue. The watchfulness and care they
both bestowed on their little ones for the next week was so much time
thrown away, however, for it so happened that no more fast teams came
through that particular street for about a month.

Well, after the brave blonde, Maud Weldon, had become the heroine of the
hour, she went into Dan's cottage with Esther and Jane, who both ran out
when they heard the scream. Olive had already taken her boy in, washed
his little hands and face, put on his clean over-dress, and was now
holding him in her lap in the large rocking-chair. Maud Weldon was in
the parlor with Jane and Esther looking at the flowers and telling them
about her new beau, how handsome he was, and that she intended to marry
him if he asked her, winding up her conversation on the subject of beaux
with the remark that she was bound not to die an old maid, but was going
to get married for she wanted to have a house of her own to keep. And so
the conversation ran on between the three girls in the parlor until
dinner was nearly ready, when Mrs. Hicks, Maud's aunt, called her and
she went home.

After dinner, Esther and Olive were washing the dishes in the kitchen
and talking over George's narrow escape, when Esther suddenly made up
her mind to tell her sister what she was about to do when Jane's rather
unexpected return from the shop put an end to their conversation. So
after having put all the dishes away in the pantry, she told Olive if
she would promise not to tell anybody, not even Dan, she would tell her
something that must be kept a secret, because if it became known it
might make people nervous and could do no good.

"Very well," replied Olive, "wait until I get my sewing, then we will go
into the parlor, you can tell me all about it, and I promise that I
won't