aged and make the young weep? I've
always been considered harmless, till now. That must be Miss Thorne's
friend, whom I met so unfortunately just now. She's crazy, surely, or
she wouldn't have been afraid of me. Poor thing, perhaps I startled
her."

He remembered that she had carried a basket and worn a pair of gardening
gloves. Even though her face was so changed, for an instant he had
seen its beauty--the deep violet eyes, fair skin, and regular features,
surmounted by that wonderful crown of silvered hair.

Conflicting emotions swayed him as he wended his way to the top of the
hill, with the morning paper in his pocket as an excuse, if he should
need one. When he approached the gate, he was seized by a swift and
unexplainable fear, and would have turned back, but Miss Hathaway's door
was opened.

Then the little maiden of his dreams vanished, waving her hand in token
of eternal farewell, for as Ruth came down the path between the white
and purple plumes of lilac, with a smile of welcome upon her lips, he
knew that, in all the world, there was nothing half so fair.

VIII. Summer Days

The rumble of voices which came from the kitchen was not disturbing, but
when the rural lovers began to sit on the piazza, directly under Ruth's
window, she felt called upon to remonstrate.

"Hepsey," she asked, one morning, "why don't you and Joe sit under the
trees at the side of the house? You can take your chairs out there."

"Miss Hathaway allerss let us set on the piazzer," returned Hepsey,
unmoved.

"Miss Hathaway probably sleeps more soundly than I do. You don't want me
to hear everything you say, do you?"

Hepsey shrugged her buxom shoulders. "You can if you like, mum."

"But I don't like," snapped Ruth. "It annoys me."

There was an interval of silence, then Hepsey spoke again, of her own
accord. "If Joe and me was to set anywheres but in front, he might see
the light."

"Well, what of it?"

"Miss Hathaway, she don't want it talked of, and men folks never can
keep secrets," Hepsey suggested.

"You wouldn't have to tell him, would you?"

"Yes'm. Men folks has got terrible curious minds. They're all right if
they don't know there's nothin', but if they does, why they's keen."

"Perhaps you're right, Hepsey," she replied, biting her lips. "Sit
anywhere you please."

There were times when Ruth was compelled to admit that Hepsey's mental
gifts were fully equal to her own. It was unreasonable to suppose, e