of the covers and planked them
down on the velvety rug.

"Whom have you an engagement with, Sadie Burton?" she asked, with
breathless eagerness.

"I have an engagement to elope!"

This time Sadie turned her head to hide her blushes.

Helen seemed actually paralyzed. There was an intense pause before
Sadie wheeled round, flung her head defiantly and said with more fire
than she had ever in her life displayed:

"With Mr. Whitney Barnes--and you are going to assist me--you and Mr.
Gladwin."

"You--cannot--be--serious, Sadie?" said the older cousin, slowly.

"I am, though!" was the passionate rejoinder. "Nanette and I packed my
steamer trunk after you and Auntie went to bed. Hurry now, Helen,
dear, for we must be at the Little Church Around the Corner at eleven
o'clock. I am going to wear my gray travelling dress and you your
brown."

"Why, you dreadful little minx, you!" cried Helen. "If you are poking
fun at me I will never forgive you."

"I am not poking fun," retorted Sadie with the same ardor and almost
in tears. "It is all planned and arranged. Whitney promised to have
everything ready at the church, including Travers Gladwin. He said he
couldn't wait another minute after eleven o'clock--that the suspense
would kill him--and he was so terribly in earnest about it that I
believe him."

"You goose!" exclaimed Helen, but now she was smiling and there was a
happy light in her eyes.

"Do you mean to tell me, Sadie Burton," she added, "that you fell in
love with that young man in a few hours--_you_, the man-hater!"

"Y-y-yes," admitted Sadie, her cheeks again on fire.

"And a man you don't know anything about--a perfect stranger!"

This brought the fire into the timid miss's eyes and she returned
warmly:

"I know everything about him, Helen Burton--his whole family history,
and he is only obeying orders in rushing the ceremony."

"Obeying orders?"

"Yes, his father commanded him to marry me at once--and if he doesn't
obey he will be disinherited and have to become a plumber or something
to make a living. His father is Joshua Barnes, the mustard king--you
must have heard of him. When I told Auntie who he was she almost
collapsed and said something about Joshua Barnes buying and selling
twenty hogs--I suppose she meant Jabez Hogg."

"Why, I never heard of such a thing, Sadie. Mr. Barnes could not have
been serious. His father never saw you in his life."

"Oh, but he telephoned his father all about it