se as long as Alida continued to look after his
comfort and interests.

Now that the worst stress of Jane's anxiety was over, she proved that
she was half starved. Indeed she had few misgivings now, for her
confidence that Holcroft would accomplish what he attempted was almost
unbounded. It was a rather silent meal at first, for the farmer and
his wife had much to think about and Jane much to do in making up for
many limited meals. At last Holcroft smiled so broadly that Alida
said, "Something seems to please you."

"Yes, more than one thing. It might be a great deal worse, and was,
not long ago. I was thinking of old times."

"How pleasant they must have been to make you look so happy!"

"They had their uses, and make me think of a picture I saw in a store
window in town. It was a picture of a woman, and she took my fancy
amazingly. But the point uppermost in my mind was a trick of the
fellow who painted her. He had made the background as dark as night
and so she stood out as if alive; and she looked so sweet and good that
I felt like shaking hands with her. I now see why the painter made the
background so dark."

Alida smiled mischievously as she replied, "That was his art. He knew
that almost anyone would appear well against such a background."

But Holcroft was much too direct to be diverted from his thought or its
expression. "The man knew the mighty nice-looking woman he had painted
would look well," he said, "and I know of another woman who appears
better against a darker background. That's enough to make a man smile
who has been through what I have."

She could not help a flush of pleasure or disguise the happy light in
her eyes, but she looked significantly at Jane, who, mystified and
curious, was glancing from one to the other.

"Confound it!" thought the farmer. "That'll be the way of it now.
Here's a little pitcher that's nearly all ears. Well, we're in for it
and must do our duty."

Going to town that day involved no slight inconvenience, but Holcroft
dropped everything and rapidly made his preparations.

When Alida was left alone with Jane, the latter began clearing the
table with alacrity, and after a few furtive glances at Mrs. Holcroft,
yielded to the feeling that she should make some acknowledgment of the
intercession in her behalf. "Say," she began, "I thought you wasn't
goin; to stand up for me, after all. Women folks are liars, mostly."

"You are mistaken, Jane. If you wish