re
than I how perfectly impossible it would be for a clever, grown-up,
brilliant professor to fall in love with such an idiot as I am. That's
all. I meant it for a compliment," she added, seeing he was not well
pleased.

He smiled, but it was a sober smile. "You said it was true that you
did not wish me to be--fond of you. Why? Don't you like me then,
after all?"

Now, he realized that this was a perfectly insane conversation, but for
the life of him, he couldn't help it. Prudence was so alluring, and
the sky was so warmly blue, the sunshine so mild and hazy, and the
roadside so gloriously gay with colors! Who could have sense on such a
day, with such a girl as this?

"Oh, I do like you very much indeed," declared Prudence. "It's a big
relief, too, for I didn't expect to--oh, I beg your pardon again,
but--well, I was scared when Fairy told me how remarkable you are. I
didn't want to disgrace the parsonage, and I knew I would. But--why,
the reason I do not want you to fall in love with me,--that's very
different from being fond of me, I do want you to be that,--but when
people fall in love, they get married. I'm not going to get married,
so it would be silly to fall in love, wouldn't it?"

He laughed heartily at the matter-of-factness with which this
nineteen-year-old girl disposed of love and marriage. "Why aren't you
going to be married?" he inquired, foolishly happy, and showing more
foolishness than happiness, just as we all do on such occasions.

"Well, it will be ten or eleven years before Connie is fairly raised."

"Yes, but you won't be a Methuselah, in eleven years," he smiled.

"No, but you forget father."

"Forget father! Are you raising him, too?"

"No, I'm not raising him, but I'm managing him." But when he laughed,
she hastened to add, "That is, I take care of him, and keep house for
him, and remind him of things he forgets." Then with girlish honesty,
she added, "Though I must confess that he has to remind me of things I
forget, oftener than I do him. I inherited my forgetfulness from
father. I asked him once if he inherited his from grandfather, and he
said he forgot whether grandfather was forgetful or not! Father is
very clever. So's Fairy. And the twins are the smartest little things
you ever saw,--and Connie, too. Connie is the oddest, keenest child.
She's wonderful. They all are,--but me. It's kind of humiliating to
be the only stupid one in a family of smart folks.