for flushing so unreasonably again, and Steve, not
daring to look towards her, was hurrying to the rescue, when the old
woman with a swift, keen glance at both, broke in with:

"No, pap, no they hain't," piped shrilly into the old man's ear.

His face dropped with evident disappointment, and there was an
embarrassed moment for all of them.

"Mother Greely," said Nancy gaily, determinedly recovering herself,
"have you got any of those molasses cakes you used to give us when we
came over?"

"Wal now, I think I hev," said the old woman, rising as quickly as her
stiffened limbs would let her.

Steve looked down at Nancy as Tildy went in, smiled, and said:

"Shall we sit on the door-step, as we used to?"

Nancy's eyes did not meet his, and she turned her head to hide that
provokingly rising colour as she sat down in a matter-of-fact way.

When they rode away from the mill, having made the aged couple happy
with the renewal of old times, Steve again with eager yearning
strained his inner vision for a glimpse into her heart, but she
betrayed not the slightest consciousness of the embarrassing episode.

As the horses went leisurely back along through the wood, Steve and
Nancy talked gently of the two old people with their wondrous mountain
combination of barest poverty, dense ignorance, keen intelligence,
simple kindliness and gentle dignity,--qualities which the young folks
were now prepared to recognize.

"It is curious how like two people grow from constant association,"
said Steve at last, musingly. "The resemblance between the old miller
and his wife is striking, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," returned Nancy; "the shape of face and type of feature
is the same in both, and as for expression, each might be a mirror for
the other."

"It would be interesting to know which had most influenced the other,"
said Steve; "whether she has conformed to his type or he to hers."

"Old Nat and Tildy certainly furnish a good opportunity for study of
that problem," said Nancy, "for there has been little except the
influence of each upon the other to leave its impress."

"The subject is an interesting field for the aspiring investigator,"
Steve went on. "I wonder that some fine-spun, scientific theory has
not already been advanced,--but it only remains another formidable
matrimonial hazard," he ended with his sudden smile.

"It does indeed," laughed Nancy. "Wouldn't it be dreadful to think of
growing daily more and more like s