ld seem scarcely gracious to settle in Mercer while Mr.
Denner still hoped to find clients there, and sat once a week, for an
hour, in a dingy back office waiting for them. True, they never came; but
Gifford had once read law with Mr. Denner, and knew and loved the little
gentleman, so he could not do a thing which might appear discourteous.
And when he further remarked that there seemed to be a good opening in
Lockhaven, which was a growing place, and that it would be very jolly to
have Helen Jeffrey there when she became Mrs. Ward, the two Misses
Woodhouse smiled, and said firmly that they approved of it, and that they
would send him to Lockhaven in the spring, and they were glad they had
thought of it.

On this June night, they had begged him to take a message to the rectory
about the flowers for the wedding. "He is glad enough to go, poor child,"
said Miss Deborah, sighing, when she saw the alacrity with which he
started; "he feels her marriage very much, though he is so young."

"Are you sure, dear Deborah?" asked Miss Ruth, doubtfully. "I never
really felt quite certain that he was interested in her."

"Certainly I am," answered Miss Deborah, sharply. "I've always maintained
they were made for each other."

But Gifford Woodhouse's pleasant gray eyes, under straight brown brows,
showed none of the despair of an unsuccessful lover; on the contrary, he
whistled softly through his blonde moustache, as he came along the
rectory lane, and then walked down the path to join the party in the
garden.

The four people who had gathered at the foot of the lawn were very
silent; Dr. Howe, whose cigar glowed and faded like a larger firefly than
those which were beginning to spangle the darkness, was the only one
ready to talk. "Well," he said, knocking off his cigar ashes on the arm
of his chair, "everything ready for to-morrow, girls? Trunks packed and
gowns trimmed? We'll have to keep you, Helen, to see that the house is
put in order after all this turmoil; don't you think so, Lois?"

Here the rector yawned secretly.

"You needn't worry about _order_, father," Lois said, lifting her head
from her cousin's shoulder, her red lower lip pouting a little, "but I
wish we could keep Helen."

"Do you hear that, Mr. Ward?" the rector said. "Yes, we're all going to
miss the child very much. Gifford Woodhouse was saying to-day Ashurst
would lose a great deal when she went. There's a compliment for you,
Helen! How that fellow has