and their pride to have
anything short of sudden serious illness, or death, or a fire cause others
to arise before them. Therefore they did not receive the message that
David was meditating another trip away from the village for a few days
with good grace. Aunt Hortense asked Aunt Amelia if she had ever feared
that Marcia would have a bad effect upon David by making him frivolous.
Perhaps he would lose interest in his business with all his careering
around the country. Aunt Amelia agreed that Marcia must be to blame in
some way, and then discovering they had a whole hour before their usual
rising time, the two good ladies settled themselves with indignant
composure to their interrupted repose.

Breakfast was ready when David returned. Marcia supposed he had only been
to harness the horse. She glanced out happily through the window to where
the horse stood tied to the post in front of the house. She felt like
waving her hand to him, and he turned and seemed to see her; rolling the
whites of his eyes around, and tossing his head as if in greeting.

Marcia would scarcely have eaten anything in her excitement if David had
not urged her to do so. She hurried with her clearing away, and then flew
upstairs to arrange her bonnet before the glass and don the lovely folds
of the creamy crepe shawl, folding it demurely around her shoulders and
knotting it in front. She put on her mitts, took her handkerchief folded
primly, and came down ready.

But David no longer seemed in such haste. He made a great fuss fastening
up everything. She wondered at his unusual care, for she thought
everything quite safe for the day.

She raised one shade toward the Heath house. It was the first time she had
permitted herself this morning to think of Kate. Was she there yet?
Probably, for no coach had left since last night, and unless she had gone
by private conveyance there would have been no way to go. She looked up to
the front corner guest room where the windows were open and the white
muslin curtains swayed in the morning breeze. No one seemed to be moving
about in the room. Perhaps Kate was not awake. Just then she caught the
flutter of a blue muslin down on the front stoop. Kate was up, early as it
was, and was coming out. A sudden misgiving seized Marcia's heart, as when
a little child, she had seen her sister coming to eat up the piece of cake
or sweetmeat that had been given to her. Many a time had that happened.
Now, she felt that in so