re are three considerable tunnels," laughed Delia. "Yet there
are people who believe the State is one vast sandy plain, and that the
agricultural products are solely watermelons and peaches. Some one
always stands ready to believe ridiculous things."

"Hereafter, we will take up the cudgels for New Jersey," declared Ben.
"I am hungry as a bear! That rye bread was splendid, wasn't it! We must
ask mother to make some, Joe."

Mr. Whitney begged them to stop to tea; but Doctor Joe thought they had
better get home. They were late, of course; but Mrs. Underhill had a
nice supper for them.

When Jim heard about Captain Alden, he half wished he had gone.

"But I had to come in and save the day, or we should have been beaten
out of sight, so I was of some use," he announced.

Mrs. Underhill was put on her mettle by hearing about Mrs. Alden's rye
bread; and the very next week she made some quite as splendid.

Hanny displayed her sprig of hawthorn,--real hawthorn.

"Are you sure it isn't artificial?" asked Jim, teasingly.

"An artificial branch can't grow," she said indignantly.

The next week at school, the girls' compositions had to be read aloud;
and Hanny wrote about her tour, which received the highest commendation.

Delia came up to get the story of the man who had been on board the
slave ship. She had a sketch of her own under way, and she wanted to
make it very thrilling.

"And I shall have to give you half the money for it," she said
laughingly.

It had a rather amusing hitch about its acceptance. The editor of the
paper to which it was offered liked it extremely for its vigourous
treatment, but begged her to use a masculine name, or simply initials,
because it didn't sound like a young girl's story.

She told this over with great gusto, and showed her check for twenty
dollars. But Mr. Underhill magnanimously refused to accept the half of
it.

"I don't approve of so much mannishness in a girl," Mrs. Underhill said
decisively. In her heart she wished Ben did not like her so well. But
they really were more like two boys than lovers.

She took every occasion to make sharp little comments. Delia was rather
careless in her attire; and while she dressed her heroines in the styles
of their period, or in good taste, if they were modern, she had a rather
mismatched look herself, except when she wore white, which she nearly
always did evenings at home.

And she made home a really delightful place. She was quite a