r from Mary to Phil was hastily scribbled in pencil.

"DEAR PHIL:--Jack came home yesterday with a
bit of news for the Ware family, which set it
into a wild commotion, to say the least. Nobody
but the family is to know it for awhile, but I
am going to tell you because you're sort of
'next of kin.' Jack said I might, but you
mustn't send your congratulations until you are
officially notified.

"When Jack went East to that directors' meeting
he stopped over Sunday in Lloydsboro Valley,
and Betty was home from Warwick Hall on her
Easter vacation, and he saw her again, and
well--_they're engaged!_ Isn't it perfectly
lovely? I've known for a long time that they
have been corresponding. They began it over
_me_ while I was at Warwick Hall. It will
probably be a long time before they are
married. Betty will finish teaching this term
at Warwick Hall and then go back to Locust for
awhile. Jack is to be promoted to Mr. Headley's
place next fall, and I _think_ the grand event
will take place the following spring, a year
from now.

"You know Betty, and what a perfectly darling
saint she is, so I needn't tell you how the
entire family rejoices over Jack's good
fortune, although we _do_ think too, that she
is equally fortunate to have Jack and--_us_.
Don't you?"

It was May before another letter found its way from Lone-Rock to the
little station up in the mountains of Mexico, to which Phil sent a daily
messenger on mule-back for his mail. Mary wrote it in the office while
waiting for Jack to come in again and go on with his dictation. It had
been interrupted in the middle by some outside matter which called him
away from his desk for nearly an hour.

"No," she began, "I must confess that it isn't lack of time which has
kept me so long from answering your last letter, but merely lack of
news. Mr. Bailey is back at his post now as good as new after his spell
of pneumonia. I had a busy month while he was out, but now there isn't
enough for me to do to justify their keeping me more than an hour or so
each morning.

"I am glad to have that much of a position however, for it adds a trifle
every week to my bank account, and breaks into the monotony of the days
more than you can imagine. I come down ju