besought for an opinion by the
two ladies who now claimed their innermost thoughts, could only say that
no one but Crewne knew, and perhaps even _he_ didn't.

Crewne was a very odd boy, they said--excellent company, the best of
good fellows, the staunchest of friends, and the very soul of honor; but
there were some things about him they never _could_ understand. In fact,
he was something like that sum of all impossibilities, a schoolgirl's
hero.

"But, Harry," said the prospective Mrs. Faxton, with rather an angry
pout for a Church-member in full communion, "just see what splendid
girls are dying for him! I'm sure there are no nicer girls anywhere than
in Hardhack, and he needn't be so stuck up--"

"My dear," interrupted Faxton, "I say it with fear and trembling, but
perhaps Crewne don't want to be in love at all."

An indignant flash of doubt went over the lady's face.

"Just notice him at a party," continued Faxton. "He seems to distribute
his attentions with exact equality among all the ladies present, as if
he were trying to discourage the idea that he was a marrying man."

"Well," said the lady, still indignant, "I think you might ask him and
settle the matter."

"Excuse me, my dear," replied Faxton. "I have seen others manifest an
interest in Crewne's affairs, and the result was discouraging. I'd
rather not try the experiment."

A few mornings later Mrs. Leekins, who took the place of a newspaper at
Hardhack, was seen hurrying from house to house on her own street, and
such housekeepers as saw her instantly discovered that errands must be
made to houses directly in Mrs. Leekins's route.

Mrs. Leekins's story was soon told. Crewne had suddenly gone to the
city, first purchasing the cottage which Deacon Twinkham had built
several years before for a son who had never come back from sea.

Crewne had hired old Mrs. Bruff to put the cottage to rights, and to
arrange the carpets and furniture, which he was to forward immediately.
But who was to be mistress of the cottage Mrs. Leekins was unable to
tell, or even to guess.

The clerks at the store had been thoroughly pumped; but while they
admitted that one young lady had purchased an unusual quantity of
inserting, another had ordered a dress pattern of gray empress cloth,
which was that year the fashionable material and color for traveling
dresses.

Old Mrs. Bruff had received unusual consideration and unlimited tea, but
even the most systematic question f