urprised that I saw he had not thought of his own real gift
for changing, and I realized that his attention ought to be drawn to
some things he was apt to forget. Quick as a flash, though, he said I
had opened new worlds to him; that I stimulated and inspired him as no
one had ever done, and that he would never love any one as he loved me,
and that he would wait forever if necessary for me. Also he said he
would never change back again to a certain person, as she had killed
his love, and would I not promise to be just his? And I had to sit
tight on my hands, his manner was so very imploring; and then, before I
could say anything, I heard Mr. Willie Prince, who was sitting on the
front porch, fanning, cough rather loud and come down the steps and
call Ben, who was barking, and I knew Mr. Willie was doing what he
thought was his duty, and I got down from the post and told Whythe good
night. He went away like the young man in the Bible, very sorrowful,
and I went in.

It wasn't late, but everybody had gone in except Miss Susanna and Mr.
Willie, and when I sat down in a rocking-chair Miss Susanna looked at
me as if she didn't know whether to say anything or not, and I saw she
was worried. But before I could ask what was the matter she got up and
kissed me good night and went in, so I asked Mr. Willie.

He wouldn't tell me at first, though I could see he was dying to do it,
but after a while he said Miss Susanna was the sort that found life of
the present day a hard thing to accept, and, fanning himself with his
palm leaf, he looked at me as if I were one of the reasons she found
life hard. "Miss Susanna," he said, "is a lady of the old school where
love and honor were placed above riches and mere material things, and
it was a blow to her to find how readily young people could change
their affections and break their plighted vows and be blind to their
best interests, which was to keep along the same path and not be
tempted out of it by passing people and worldly ambitions." And as he
talked in his fine little cambric-needle voice that sounded as if it
came out of a squeaky cabinet, I knew he was meaning more than he was
saying, and I sat up and listened until he stopped for breath.

"Is that all?" I asked, and got up to go in, "for if it is I don't
think Miss Susanna need worry herself. People in one generation aren't
very different from people in another where self-interest is concerned.
Everybody knows Mrs. Lorai