d
not please him. He returned about dark, blew up Samri in the yard
for some little thing, rampaged around in his most awful way, and
finally, Aunt Lorena says, she could hear him scolding the butler
all through dinner and half the evening. Then, she believes, the
poor old Jap crept into the toolshed to spend the rest of the
night out of sound of his master's voice."

Luke would certainly not have gone to Milton and to the Corner House at
this time save that he, like his sister, could not offend those who had
been so kind to him there. And he was hungry for a sight of Ruth!

Seeing her, he feared, would not aid him to be manly and put his desires
aside while he fought his way through college. He knew that Neighbor
would do exactly what he had said. Never could he look to the old
gentleman for a friendly word, or a bit of help over a hard financial
place again. As Mr. Henry Northrup was so fond of saying, he always said
what he meant and meant what he said!

The party was to be on Saturday evening, and the Friday when the
Shepards had promised to arrive at the Corner House came, and Luke and
Cecile went their separate ways to Milton by train. As he had not sent
word by just what train he would arrive the young man did not expect
anybody to meet him. He walked up from the station with his suitcase and
came in sight of the old Corner House without being spied by anybody on
the premises.

A wintry wind was blowing, and the great shade trees about the house
were almost bare of leaves. Yet the Stower homestead could never look
anything but cheerful and homelike. Luke quickened his pace as he
approached the gate. There was somebody inside that old house, he was
quite sure, whom he longed desperately to see.

He opened the gate and swung up the walk to the door. Bounding up the
steps he reached forth his hand to touch the annunciator button when he
caught sight of something standing on the porch beside the
door--something that brought a gasp of amazement from his lips and
actually caused him to turn pale.

CHAPTER XXV

LOOKING AHEAD

Ruth had become quite excited over the prospect of the coming party. Of
course, not as excited as Agnes, but sufficiently so to become more like
her oldtime self.

She went about with a smile on her lips and a gleam in her eyes that had
been missing of late. Agnes hinted that she must have some particular
reason for being so "chipper."

"Somebody'