ever such a glorious morning?"

"It's perfect," answered Eugenia, leaning out of her rose bower to smile
down at him.

"I wonder if the bride's happiness measures up to the morning," he
asked. "Mine does."

For answer she glanced around, her finger on her lips as if to warn him
that walls have ears, and then with a light little laugh tossed the
rosebud down to him. "Wait! I'll come and tell you," she said.

Betty, gathering up her writing material, saw him catch the rose, touch
it to his lips and fasten it in his coat. Then, conscience-smitten that
she had seen the little by-play not intended for other eyes, she bolted
back into her room through the window, so hurriedly that she struck her
head against the sash with a force which made her see stars for several
minutes.

The first excitement after breakfast was the arrival of the bride's
cake. Aunt Cindy had baked it, the bride herself had stirred the charms
into it, but it had been sent to Louisville to be iced. Lloyd called the
entire family into the butler's pantry to admire it, as it sat
imposingly on a huge silver salver.

"It looks as if it might have come out of the Snow Queen's palace," she
said, "instead of the confectionah's. Wouldn't you like to see the place
where those snow-rose garlands grow?"

"Somebody take Phil away from it! Quick!" said Stuart. "Once I had a
birthday cake iced in pink with garlands of white sugar roses all around
it, and he sneaked into the pantry before the party and picked off so
many of the roses that it looked as if a mouse had nibbled the edges.
Aunt Patricia put him to bed and he missed the party, but we couldn't
punish him that way if he should spoil the wedding cake, because we need
his services as best man. So we'd better remove him from temptation."

"Look here, son," answered Phil, taking Stuart by the shoulders and
pushing him ahead of him. "When it comes to raking up youthful sins
you'd better lie low. 'I could a tale unfold' that would make Eugenia
think that this is 'a fatal wedding morn,' If she knew all she wouldn't
have you."

"Then you sha'n't tell anything," declared Lloyd. "I'm not going to be
cheated out of my share of the wedding, no mattah what a dahk past
eithah of you had. Forget it, and come and help us hunt the foah-leaf
clovahs that Eugenia wants for the dream-cake boxes."

"What are they?" asked Miles Bradford, as he edged out of the pantry
after the others. Mary happened to be the one in front