mes I think she _is_ older.

"I didn't think ministers ever fell in love," I protested.

"Some do," said Jill sagely. "Mr. Grinnell wouldn't ever, I suppose.
But Dick is different. I'd like him for a husband myself. But he'd be
too old for me by the time I grew up, so I suppose I'll have to let
Aunt Tommy have him. It will be all in the family anyhow--that is one
comfort. I think Aunt Tommy ought to have me for a flower girl and
I'll wear pink silk clouded over with white chiffon and carry a big
bouquet of roses."

"Jill, you take my breath away," I said, and she did. My imagination
couldn't travel as fast as that. But after I had thought the idea
over a bit I liked it. It was a good deal like a book; and, besides, a
minister is a respectable thing to have in a family.

"We must help them all we can," said Jill.

"What can we do?" I asked.

"We must praise Dick to Aunt Tommy and Aunt Tommy to Dick and we must
keep out of the way--we mustn't ever hang around when they want to be
alone," said Jill.

"I don't want to give up being chums with Dick," I grumbled.

"We must be self-sacrificing," said Jill. And that sounded so fine it
reconciled me to the attempt.

We sat there and watched Dick and Aunt Tommy for an hour. I thought
they were awfully prim and stiff. If I'd been Dick I'd have gone over
and hugged her. I said so to Jill and Jill was shocked. She said it
wouldn't be proper when they weren't even engaged.

When Dick went away Aunt Tommy came out to the verandah and discovered
us. She sat down between us and put her arms about us. Aunt Tommy has
such cute ways.

"I like your minister very much," she said.

"He's bully," I said.

"He's as handsome as a prince," Jill said.

"He preaches splendid sermons--he makes people sit up in church, I can
tell you," I said.

"He has a heavenly tenor voice," Jill said.

"He's got a magnificent muscle," I said.

"He has the most poetical eyes," Jill said.

"He swims like a duck," I said.

"He looks just like a Greek god," Jill said.

I'm sure Jill couldn't have known what a Greek god looked like, but I
suppose she got the comparison out of some novel. Jill is always
reading novels. She borrows them from the cook.

Aunt Tommy laughed and said, "You darlings."

For the next three months Jill and I were wild. It was just like
reading a serial story to watch Dick and Aunt Tommy. One day when Dick
came Aunt Tommy wasn't quite ready to come down, so Jill and I