her
headstrong, dearest son.

"Whatever you think is best, Frank dear," she said, "let's do that."

* * * * *

"I only hope to heaven she don't understand!" Luella muttered
nervously, glancing unguardedly at Caroline.

Caroline stamped her foot angrily. Her sensitive little body had
thrilled in the girl's arm; she had felt all the pathos and dignity
of Luella's appeal, the young man seemed to her mysterious and
noble. And now she was distrusted, grudged her free part in this
exciting afternoon! She scowled at Luella.

"You must think I'm a baby, Luella Judd!" she cried irritably. "I
understand all about it, just as well as you do! Didn't we have just
the same thing in the family, ourselves?"

Luella gasped.

"For heaven's sakes, Car'line, wha' do you mean?" she demanded;
"it's perfectly awful the things you city children know! I do
declare, I don't think it's right!"

"Pooh!" said Caroline grandly. "I should hope I knew more'n that!
Why, my Uncle Joe's own sister, her man that she was engaged to, he
didn't believe in church weddings, either, and he told my mother if
he had to stand up in gray trousers with those six girls in pink
hats and the bishop all togged out and the whole town glaring at 'em
he'd run away with Cousin Elizabeth, and he didn't know whether he'd
marry her at all! And they cried and they begged 'em, and I was to
be a flower girl and wear my white silk stockings, but still they
wouldn't. And Cousin Elizabeth cried, too, and she said she'd never
feel married in a travelling dress, but Cousin Richard said he
guessed she would. And everybody was terribly angry with them, but
they just had it in her aunt's house that was paralyzed and couldn't
ever go out, and it was right next door to Cousin Richard's father's
house, too, just like this! Not one bridesmaid and nobody had any
cake in a box to take away. It was awful, just like Luella says, but
afterwards we all forgave 'em. They ran off and did it in the
afternoon--there was only her father and that paralyzed aunt."

She drew a long breath and smiled importantly at them.

Dorothy put an arm over her fat little shoulders.

"You must be my bridesmaid and my flower girl, too," she said
softly.

"You'll go get your father, o' course, Mr. Wortley?" Luella appeared
unconscious of the possibility of any refusal, and though he
started, scowled, and shook his head, her warning glance in
Caroline's direction checked hi