t let me go," Mrs. Rosscott had declared, "she won't consider it
for a minute."

"But she must," Jack had declared on his side. "My dearest, you can't stay
and play maid to Aunt Mary indefinitely, and you know that as well as I
do."

"Yes, I know that," the whilom Janice then murmured. "It's getting to be
an awful question. They want me to come home for Thanksgiving. They think
that I've been at the rest-cure long enough."

Jack had laughed a bit just there, and then he suddenly ceased laughing
and frowned a good deal instead.

"You were crying when I came," he said. "The truth is you are working
yourself to death and getting completely used up."

"It is wearing, I must confess," she answered. "Yesterday I played poker
until I didn't know a blue chip from a white one, and she won the whole
pot with two little bits of pairs while I was drawing to a king. I begin
to fear that my mind will give way. And yet, I really don't see how to
stop. She is so sick and tired of life here and she isn't strong enough to
go to town."

"I know a very short way to put an end to everything," said Jack. "I see
two ways in fact,--one is to tell her the truth."

"Oh, don't do that," cried his fiancee affrightedly. "The shock would kill
her outright."

"The other way,--" said Jack slowly, "would be for me to marry you and let
her think that you _are_ Janice in good earnest."

"Oh, that wouldn't do at all," said the pretty widow. "In the first place
she would go crazy at the idea of her darling nephew's marrying her
maid,--and in the second place--"

"Well,--in the second place?"

"I wouldn't marry you,--I said I wouldn't and I won't. You're too young."

"But you've promised to marry me some day."

"Yes, I know--but not till--not till--"

"Not till when?"

"I haven't just decided," said Mrs. Rosscott, airily. "Not for a good
while, not until you seem to require marrying at my hands."

"I never shall require marrying at anyone else's hands," the lover vowed,
"but if you are so set about it as all that comes to, I shall not cut up
rough for a while. Aunt Mary is the main question just now--not you."

"I know," said his lady in anything but a jealous tone, "and as she is the
question, what are we to do?"

"You will go to bed," he said, kissing her, "and I will go to think."

"Can you see any way?" she asked anxiously.

Then he put his hands on either side of her face and turned it up to his
own.

"You plotted once and ov