place where Jeb had left the road and turned
down to the shrubbery walk. The two girls walked over the soft sod that
gave forth no sound, and quite suddenly came upon a scene that caused
Eleanor to crush her handkerchief into her mouth to choke her laughter,
while Polly stood speechless.

Sary sat in the hammock, one foot used to propel herself gently back and
forth. The newly-acquired striped dress was such a tight fit for her
rubicund form, that it cracked ominously every time the wearer took a
deep breath. But the short-coming of the two fronts over her ample bosom
was camouflaged with the plaid ribbon and many pins. The corsage bouquet
was tucked high under her chin where it would show most.

It was not very dark as yet, so the girls could see how dreadfully white
Sary seemed to be, and her lips were startlingly crimson. Suddenly
Eleanor guessed the truth.

"She's gone and used Bob's powder and rouge! Oh, how funny!"

Then, before either one of the accidental eaves-droppers could say
another word, Sary perked her head sideways, like a hen does when it
hears a strange sound. She quickly frizzed up her hair by ruffing it
backwards, and patted the ribbon on her waist-front, then gently used
her foot again to propel the hammock back and forth.

Gradually it dawned upon Polly and Eleanor what all this meant! They
could see Jeb coming from behind the lilac bushes, some ten feet away
from the swinger. He seemed ill at ease, and loosened his stiff collar,
pulled down his vest, and cleared his throat several times.

"Oh, Poll! He's going to propose to the 'widder'!" whispered Eleanor,
burying her face in Polly's back to stop the spasm of laughter.

Polly was too hypnotized to reply, or move, and Jeb soon was heard to
say: "Sary, Ah cum 'cuz you-all invited me to be compny t'night."

"So Ah did, Jeb. Won't you-all sit in th' hammick beside me?" came from
Sary, coyly.

"It broke thru, last season, Sary, an Ah mended it. But Ah ain't shore
it'll hol' enny more'n you." However, Jeb moved two or three feet nearer
the hammock.

"It's a fine evenin', Jeb," suggested Sary, as seriously as if the
weather was the subject uppermost in her mind, just then.

Jeb gazed up and around as if to verify Sary's statement, then admitted,
slowly: "Yeh, it 'pears to be fine."

Silence reigned for several moments, then Sary said very sweetly
(Eleanor whispered to Polly that she must have had a mouthful of
honey), "Ah shore am glad to