days of my life. Oh, Stephen dear, honestly, honestly, you haven't lost
anything in all this long, miserable summer. I've suffered, too, and I'm
better worth loving than I was. Will you take me back?"

Rose had a tremendous power of provoking and holding love, and Stephen
of loving. His was too generous a nature for revilings and complaints
and reproaches.

The shores of his heart were strewn with the wreckage of the troubled
summer, but if the tide of love is high enough, it washes such things
out of remembrance. He just opened his arms and took Rose to his heart,
faults and all, with joy and gratitude; and she was as happy as a child
who has escaped the scolding it richly deserved, and who determines, for
very thankfulness' sake, never to be naughty again.

[Illustration: "DON'T SPEAK, STEPHEN, TILL YOU HEAR WHAT I HAVE TO SAY"]

"You don't know what you've done for me, Stephen," she whispered, with
her face hidden on his shoulder. "I was just a common little prickly
rosebush when you came along like a good gardener and 'grafted in'
something better; the something better was your love, Stephen dear, and
it's made everything different. The silly Rose you were engaged to long
ago has disappeared somewhere; I hope you won't be able to find her
under the new leaves."

"She was all I wanted," said Stephen.

"You thought she was," the girl answered, "because you didn't see the
prickles, but you'd have felt them sometime. The old Rose was a selfish
thing, not good enough for you; the new Rose is going to be your wife,
and Rufus's sister, and your mother's daughter, all in one."

Then such a breakfast was spread as Stephen, in his sorry years of
bachelor existence, had forgotten could exist; but before he broke his
fast he ran out to the wagon and served the astonished Alcestis with his
wedding refreshments then and there, bidding him drive back to the River
Farm and bring him a package that lay in the drawer of his
shaving-stand,--a package placed there when hot youth and love and longing
had inspired him to hurry on the marriage day.

"There's an envelope, Alcestis," he cried, "a long envelope way, way
back in the corner, and a small box on top of it. Bring them both, and
my wallet too, and if you find them all and get them to me safely you
shall be bridesmaid and groomsman and best man and usher and maid of
honor at a wedding, in less than an hour! Off with you! Drive straight
and use the whip on Dolly!"

When h