grass and paths the joint care of Uncle Rufus and Neale
O'Neil. For nowadays Neale had time to do little other work than that of
running the Kenways' car and working about the old Corner House when he
was not at school.

Ruth was busy, of course, with some sewing, for she, like Aunt Sarah,
did not believe in being entirely idle while one gossiped. Whenever Ruth
looked up from her work there was somebody passing along Main Street or
Willow Street whom she knew, and who bowed or spoke to the Corner House
girl.

"You have such hosts of friends, Miss Ruth," Luke Shepard said. "I
believe you Corner House girls must be of that strange breed of folk who
are 'universally popular.' I have rather doubted their existence until
now."

"You are a flatterer," Ruth accused him, smiling. "I am sure you and
Cecile make friends quite as easily as we do."

"But Grantham is not Milton. There are only a handful of people there."

Ruth bit off a thread thoughtfully.

"Cecile was telling us about 'Neighbor' last evening," she said.

Luke flushed quickly and he looked away from the girl for a moment.

"Oh!" he said. "The poor old gentleman is a character."

"But a very good friend of yours?"

"I am not so sure about that," and Luke tried to laugh naturally. "To
tell the truth I'm afraid he's a bit cracked, don't you know."

"Oh, you do not mean that he is really--er--crazy!"

"No. Though they say--somebody has--that we are most of us a little
crazy. Neighbor Northrup is more than a little peculiar. Cecile told you
he is a woman-hater?"

"Yes. And that he carries his hatred to extremes."

"I should say he does!" exclaimed Luke with vast disgust. "He wants me
to promise never to marry."

"Well?"

"My goodness, Miss Ruth! You say that calmly enough. How would you like
to be nagged in such a way continually? It's no fun I can assure you."

Ruth laughed one of her hearty, delightful laughs that made even the
vexed Luke join in.

"It's like Aunt Sarah," confessed Ruth. "She thinks very poorly of men,
and is always advising Agnes and me to 'escape the wrath to come' by
joining the spinster sisterhood."

"But you haven't--you _won't_?" gasped Luke in horror.

At that the oldest Corner House girl laughed again, and Luke found
himself flushing and feeling rather shamefaced.

"Oh, well," he said, "you know what I mean. You girls wouldn't really be
influenced by such foolishness?"

"Doesn't Neighbor influence you?" Ruth asked