his mind about Diantha, and Diantha's in a hurry
for fear she will find somebody she likes better'n Thad."

Two vehement protests mingled in inextricable confusion. "They won't
let me see her except on the sly," cried Thad, making himself heard at
last. "They've said I wasn't to come to the house. And I won't stand
it."

"Of course you won't," Persis agreed. "That's past all reason that two
young people dead in love with each other aren't to have a chance to do
their courting. That's got to be different."

"But father won't have it."

"To-morrow I'm going to drop in and have a talk with your father. I'm
not afraid of obstinacy in a man that's got ordinary sense somewhere in
the back of his head. It's the brainless sort of folks that can't be
moved after they've once got set. Stanley Sinclair knows enough to
listen to reason. And he's got to do it."

"But mother," began Diantha, and then sobbed. His face sternly set,
Thad gulped. Even the self-contained Persis found her eyes moist.

"Yes, child, I understand. I knew your mother before you were born,
and I'll own that we're likely to have a little trouble in that
quarter. But when folks have common sense and everything else dead
against 'em, there's nothing for 'em to do but give up. Sometimes I've
felt," Persis added thoughtfully, "as if I'd just enjoy a real plain
talk with your mother."

"If we go back now," stormed Thad, "it'll be the same story over again
next year. They're never going to let me marry Diantha unless I run
off with her."

"Next year she'll be of age and her own mistress, and you'll have no
cause to run. Diantha's the sort of girl that ought to be married in
church with bridesmaids and the wedding march and pews full Of folks
looking on. 'Tain't only about once in a generation that a bride as
pretty as Diantha comes along, and the idea of marrying her in some
minister's back parlor, with the student lamp turned low to save oil
and the servant girl called in for a witness, is a plain case of
casting pearls before swine. Not that I've got anything against
ministers," Persis added, in hasty amends to the cloth.

The weeping Diantha was sobbing less violently. Persis was sure she
was giving close attention. Possibly Thad was impressed by the same
view of the case, for he spoke with the aggressive confidence of one
who feels that his cause is imperiled.

"Church wedding! Makes me laugh to think what Diantha's mother would
s