g to an end."

Of course, it did not! At least, not just then. But when Luke presented
himself in the sitting-room of the old Corner House and found Mr.
Northrup and Ruth in quiet conversation, the young man felt that he must
be walking in a dream.

"You here, Neighbor?" he said, rather shakingly.

"Why, yes," said Mr. Northrup calmly. "You see, Miss Ruth is rather a
friend of mine. Ahem! At least, she did me a favor some time ago, and in
hunting her up to thank her, I find that she is a very dear friend of
your sister and yourself, Luke."

"Er--yes?" questioned Luke, still a little tremulous in his speech.

"Ahem!" said Mr. Northrup again, staring hard at the young man. "Your
friend Miss Ruth has invited me to remain to dinner and meet her sisters
and--ahem!--the rest of her family. I hope you have no objection, Luke?"
with sarcasm.

"Oh, no, Neighbor! Oh, no, indeed!" Luke hastened to say.

To the amazement of Luke and Cecile Shepard Mr. Northrup appeared very
well indeed at dinner that night in the Corner House. They learned he
could be very entertaining if he wished; that he had not forgotten how
to interest women if he had been a recluse for so long; and that even
Tess and Dot found something about him to admire. The former said
afterward that Mr. Northrup had a voice like a distant drum; Dot said he
had a "noble looking forehead," meaning that it was very high and bald.

Mr. Northrup and Aunt Sarah were wonderfully polite to each other. Mrs.
MacCall had her suspicions of the old gentleman, remembering the
umbrella and the occasion of his first call when, she considered, he had
entered the house under false pretenses.

Luke went to the evening train with his old friend, and Mr. Northrup's
mellowed spirit remained with him--for the time at least.

"She is a smart girl, Luke. I always thought you had a little good
sense in your makeup, and I believe you've proved it. But remember,
boy," added the man, shaking an admonitory finger at him, "remember,
you're to stick to your fancy. No changing around from one girl to
another. If you dare to I'll disown you-- I'll disown you just as I said
I should if you hadn't picked out the girl you have."

"Good gracious, Neighbor!" gasped the young man, "I--I don't even know
if Ruth will have me."

"Huh! You don't? Well, young man," said the old gentleman in disgust at
Luke's dilatoriness, "_I do!_"

Perhaps Mr. Henry Northrup's very positiveness upon this point spurr