as sure I ain't got it. What do you
s'pose I done with it?"

"Goodness knows! 'Twouldn't surprise me if you'd et it, you're that
absent-minded. Here! what's that stickin' out of your breast pocket?"

Her brother put his hand to the pocket indicated and produced the
missing napkin, much crumpled.

"There!" he exclaimed, in a tone of relief. "Now I remember. It must
have dropped on the floor and I thought 'twas my handkerchief and picked
it up and--"

"What did you think you'd be carryin' a white handkerchief for, on a
week day?"

"Well, I had on my Sunday suit and--"

"Yes, and for the dear mercy sakes WHY have you got it on?"

Kyan saw an opportunity for self-justification.

"You TOLD me to put it on," he declared triumphantly. "You said yourself
I'd better rig out in my Sunday clothes 'cause we might go to Eben's
funeral. You know you did."

"Hear the man! And then, after you've dressed up to go to his funeral,
you pretend to believe I'm goin' to tell you he's dead. I never--"

"Well, what IS it, then? He ain't come to life, has he?"

"Grace Van Horne's engaged to be married, that's what it is. Look out!
Oh, you--"

Just here occurred the accident already described. Knife and fish ball
descended upon the waistcoat belonging to the "Sunday suit." Lavinia
flew for warm water, ammonia, and a cloth, and the soiled waistcoat
was industriously scrubbed. The cleansing process was accompanied by a
lively tongue lashing, to which Kyan paid little attention.

"Engaged?" he kept repeating. "Gracie Van Horne engaged? Engaged? En--"

"Be still, you poll parrot! Dear! dear! dear! look at them spots. Yes,
yes; don't say it again; she's engaged."

"Who--who--who--"

"Now you've turned to an owl, I do believe. 'Hoo! hoo!' She's engaged to
Nat Hammond, that's who. Nothin' very surprisin' about that, is there?"

Kyan made no answer. He rubbed his forehead, while his sister rubbed the
grease spots. In jerky sentences she told of the engagement and how the
news had reached her.

"I can't believe it," faltered Abishai. "She goin' to marry Nat! Why, I
can't understand. I thought--"

"What did you think? See here! you ain't keepin' anything from me, be
you?"

The answer was enthusiastically emphatic.

"No, no, no, no!" declared Kyan. "Only I didn't know they was--was--"

"Neither did anybody else, but what of it? Folks don't usually advertise
when they're keepin' comp'ny, do they?"

"No--o. But it's gen'rally fou