ry evidence of Wall Street and
excessive fright, might have been seen sitting up like a brace of
startled rabbits in a patch of ferns which grew along the edges of a
brook at the foot of a charmingly wooded slope among the Westchester
hills. In every direction stretched hills, woods, and Italians. The calm
remote sky was blue and unvexed by anything except factory smoke; not a
sound was visible, not a noise was to be seen.

Bacon was frying unctuously in a pan on the coals beside them; their
suit-cases lay near. They sat up in the fern patch, coffee cups
suspended, eyes wild, listening intently.

"Brown," whispered Vance, "did you hear anything except the hum of
automobiles?"

"I sure did," nodded Brown, craning his neck like a turkey in a
briar-patch and glaring around.

"If--if they've got dogs," said Vance, "they'll flush us before--hark!
Great guns! _Look_ at that bench show!"

Brown's hair rose on end. "They _have_ got dogs," he whispered, "a toy
bull, a Mexican, a Chow, two Pomms--and, by Jupiter! they've got a
marmoset! Look at 'em! Hark! You can hear those unnatural girls laughing!
Me for a quick getaway. Come on!"

"They--they may come from some college," faltered Vance; "they may run us
down. Shall we trust to our protective colouring and squat close?"

"Do you want to stay here until that miserable Chow comes poking his
orange-coloured head into the ferns and laughs at us with his blue
tongue?"

Vance wrung his hands, hurling coffee all over Brown in his agonised
indecision.

"Good heavens!" he moaned. "I don't _want_ to be married! I can't afford
it! Do you think those girls can outrun us?"

"If they can," said Brown, "they'll want me more than I want my liberty.
Look out! There's their bat-eared bull! See him sniff! The wretched mutt
has winded the bacon! We've got to make a break for it now! Come on! Beat
it, son!"

Up out of the covert crashed the two young fellows, and went prancing
away through the woods, suit-cases in hand. A chorus of excited yelps and
barks greeted the racket they made in their flight; a shrill whistle rang
out, then a pretty and excited voice:

"Mark! Quick, Gladys! There are two of them! Mark left!"

"Are they any good?" cried Gladys. "Oh, where are they, dear?"

"I only caught a glimpse of them. They looked like fine ones, in splendid
condition. Millicent! Quick, where are you?"

"Here!" came a third voice. "Oh, Constance! one is too perfectly splendid
for anyt