a wheelbarrow or he wouldn't have all you
feather-heads joining his societies."

"That's true, I do believe," agreed Maggie, "or he'd never a' got you
for President of the Ladies' Aid, for you know you say heaps more than
your prayers!"

"Maggie, you're a caution; do behave!" cried her mother, glancing at
Miss Cotton with secret pride to see how she appreciated Maggie's sharp
tongue.

"Oh, she's gone daft. Don't listen to her, 'Liza," cried Bella
impatiently. "Whatever do you 'spose made Mr. Egerton turn 'round and
act the way he did, anyhow?"

Miss Cotton looked mysterious. "I know a good bit more about that chap
than I've ever told," she said, nodding her head in a tantalising
manner. "I've got a letter over home that might throw some light on
the matter." She took up her work again, waiting for this startling
piece of intelligence to take effect.

"What in the world is it, 'Liza?" cried Mrs. Hamilton, approaching the
sewing machine. "I jist knew by the look o' you when you came in that
you'd something in your mind that----"

"That's so, she does look queer," declared Maggie, stopping, with her
dish-cloth suspended, to examine Miss Cotton critically. "Now, I've
seen 'Liza so often when her mind was empty----"

"Don't listen to her, 'Liza!" cried Jessie, her small mouth twitching
with laughter. "What were you going to say?"

"Well, if that young gas-bag would shut up for half a minit, I'd tell
you something pretty queer about the minister. But, mind you, it's a
dead secret, and you must _promise_----"

There was a chorus of solemn pledges to secrecy from the group which
collected hastily around the sewing machine. Mrs. Hamilton left her
bread-making and came, with floury hands held carefully away from the
blue silk, to listen.

Miss Cotton leaned back in her chair and raised her scissors. Such
moments as this were her happiest. "Well, I don't pretend to know what
made him change his mind so sudden," she said, lowering her voice
mysteriously, "for I don't, not any more than that sewing machine; but
I do know somethin' about him, that not a soul in Glenoro knows, an' it
makes me have some idea why he acts so queer." A solemn silence fell
over the listeners.

"I've known it for two whole days, an' never whispered it to a livin'
soul!" she added, proud of this achievement in reticence.

"My! it's a wonder you didn't explode." Maggie's voice somewhat
relieved the tension. The narrator paid no