did not succeed in alarming the village before he and I
were well up the road, past the school-house and climbing the hill to
Warden's.

Tim had a great deal to tell me in that short walk. I had much to tell
him, but I was silent and let him chatter on, giving but little
attention to what he said, for I was planning a great surprise. The
simplest thing would have been to tell him my secret then, but I had
pictured something more dramatic. I wanted Mary to witness his
dumfounding when he heard the news. I wanted her to be there when its
full import broke upon him; then the three of us, Mary and Tim and I,
would do a wild jig. What boon companions we should be--we three--to
go through life together! And Edith? Four of us--so much the better!
I had never seen this Edith, but Tim is a wonderful judge of women.

So I let him talk, on and on about the city and his life there, until
we reached the house. We found that Mrs. Spiker had secured her
rights, and was on duty that day as nurse. The young doctor was there,
too, as were Mrs. Tip Pulsifer and a half dozen others, a goodly
company to greet us.

"Hello, Mary!" Tim cried, breaking through the others, when he caught
sight of her, standing at the foot of the stairs with a lighted candle
in her hand.

"Hello, Tim!" cried Mary. "And where is Edith?"

"Edith?" Tim exclaimed, stopping as if to collect the thoughts her
sudden taunting question had scattered. "I left her behind this time,
but when I come again you shall see her." Tim, with arms akimbo, stood
there laughing.

"We country girls, I understand, cannot compare with her," said Mary,
tilting her chin.

She had started up the stairs, and now paused, looking down on us. And
I looked up at her face showing out of the darkness in the half light,
and I laughed, wondering what Tim thought, wondering if he was blind,
or was this Edith really bewildering.

"Did I say that?" cried Tim. "Then I must have meant it when I said
it. To-night I have learned better, Mary, but you know I never saw you
standing that way before--on the stairs above me--kind of like an angel
with a halo----"

"Indeed!" retorted Mary; "but we women of Black Log deck ourselves out
in gaudy finery, Mr. Tim, I believe. We women of Black Log do not
inspire a man, like your Edith."

"Confound my Edith!" Tim exclaimed hotly. "Why, Mary, can't you see I
was joking? The idea of comparing Edith with you--why, Mary----"

Tim in his pr