epared to confess herself.

"What are you so busy about?" she said impatiently, as Ann Eliza,
beneath the gas-jet, fumbled for the matches. "Ain't you even got time
to ask me if I'd had a pleasant day?"

Ann Eliza turned with a quiet smile. "I guess I don't have to. Seems to
me it's pretty plain you have."

"Well, I don't know. I don't know HOW I feel--it's all so queer. I
almost think I'd like to scream."

"I guess you're tired."

"No, I ain't. It's not that. But it all happened so suddenly, and the
boat was so crowded I thought everybody'd hear what he was saying.--Ann
Eliza," she broke out, "why on earth don't you ask me what I'm talking
about?"

Ann Eliza, with a last effort of heroism, feigned a fond
incomprehension.

"What ARE you?"

"Why, I'm engaged to be married--so there! Now it's out! And it happened
right on the boat; only to think of it! Of course I wasn't exactly
surprised--I've known right along he was going to sooner or later--on'y
somehow I didn't think of its happening to-day. I thought he'd never get
up his courage. He said he was so 'fraid I'd say no--that's what kep'
him so long from asking me. Well, I ain't said yes YET--leastways I told
him I'd have to think it over; but I guess he knows. Oh, Ann Eliza, I'm
so happy!" She hid the blinding brightness of her face.

Ann Eliza, just then, would only let herself feel that she was glad. She
drew down Evelina's hands and kissed her, and they held each other. When
Evelina regained her voice she had a tale to tell which carried their
vigil far into the night. Not a syllable, not a glance or gesture of
Ramy's, was the elder sister spared; and with unconscious irony she
found herself comparing the details of his proposal to her with those
which Evelina was imparting with merciless prolixity.

The next few days were taken up with the embarrassed adjustment of their
new relation to Mr. Ramy and to each other. Ann Eliza's ardour carried
her to new heights of self-effacement, and she invented late duties in
the shop in order to leave Evelina and her suitor longer alone in the
back room. Later on, when she tried to remember the details of those
first days, few came back to her: she knew only that she got up each
morning with the sense of having to push the leaden hours up the same
long steep of pain.

Mr. Ramy came daily now. Every evening he and his betrothed went out
for a stroll around the Square, and when Evelina came in her cheeks were
always