so lordly, thinking they
owned the whole earth, I could not bear to have him claim me and talk of
taking me to England and have me go to court and all that;" and Primrose
shook her shining curly head defiantly, while her oval cheeks bloomed.

"Surely, Primrose, thou didst not have a Quaker temper either," rejoined
Polly laughingly. "I doubt if thou wouldst turn the other cheek even
for a kiss, much less a blow."

"The man would get the blow back in short order."

The beautiful blue eyes turned almost black with indignation at the
thought, and sent out rays that might have blinded an unfortunate
culprit.

The girls looked at each other as fiercely as two hearts brimming over
with love, and eyes in an April shower could look, and then they fell on
each other's neck and cried in honest girl-fashion for just nothing at
all, as girls did a hundred or so years ago.

"And you are quite sure you will never quarrel with me?" besought
Primrose. "It must be lovely to have a sister, though Rachel and Faith
were not happy. Poor Faith! She hath grown strangely loving, and I know
not what she would do if it were not for Aunt Lois."

"Thou art the dearest and sweetest little thing in all the world, and
though I may sometimes scold thee for thy naughtiness, I shall always
love thee. And now I must sew, for my mother declares I never do
anything out here at the farm. And Betty is so industrious, making
clothes for the babies."

Then they were still a moment or two while the sunshine rippled all
about, for they were sitting out under a tree, and the wind made a
pretty dance in the tall grass, and seemed to whisper among the boughs,
and push the heads of the shrubs toward each other as if they might be
kissing. Overhead the birds sang with wild bursts of melody or went
dazzling through the air, cleaving the sunshine with swift wings.

"Perhaps I ought not have told you so soon," said Polly with a sigh. "It
was just a word, the sweetest word a man can say, but then I had half
guessed it before, and I knew he was waiting to have something to offer
me. Mr. Norris does not seem very ready in finding him a place, and old
Mr. Northfield takes so much of his time and has to tell him what a fine
business man your father was, and how he did this and that, and people
entrusted him with their estates and money to buy and sell, and no one
ever lost a penny by him. So I suppose we will not be really promised
until something is settled, and tho