y. "Then it WASN'T coincidence about the mumps!"

"Confounded kid had them," he said with bitterness. "Minnie,
something's got to be done, and done soon. If you want the plain truth,
Miss--er--Summers and I used to be friends--and--well, she's suing
me for breach of promise. Now for heaven's sake, Minnie, don't make a
fuss--"

But my knees wouldn't hold me. I dropped down in a snow-drift and
covered my face.

CHAPTER XI

MISS PATTY'S PRINCE

I dragged myself back to the spring-house and dropped in front of the
fire. What with worry and no sleep and now this new complication I was
dead as yesterday's newspaper. I sat there on the floor with my hands
around my knees, thinking what to do next, and as I sat there, the
crayon enlargement of father on the spring-house wall began to shake its
head from side to side, and then I saw it hold out its hand and point a
finger at me.

"Cut and run, Minnie," it said. "Get out from under! Go and buy Timmon's
candy store before the smash--the smash--!"

When I opened my eyes Mr. Pierce was sitting on the other side of the
chimney and staring at the fire. He had a pipe between his teeth, but
he wasn't smoking, and he had something of the same look about his mouth
he'd had the first day I saw him.

"Well?" he said, when he saw I was awake.

"I guess I was sleeping." I sat up and pushed in my hairpins and yawned.
I was tireder than ever. "I'm clean worn out."

"Of course you're tired," he declared angrily. "You're not a horse, and
you haven't been to bed for two nights."

"Care killed the cat," I said. "I don't mind losing sleep, but it's like
walking in a swamp, Mr. Pierce. First I put a toe in--that was when I
asked you to stay over night. Then I went a step farther, lured on, as
you may say, by Miss Patty waving a crown or whatever it is she wants,
just beyond my nose. And to-night I've got a--well, to-night I'm in to
the neck and yelling for a quick death."

He leaned over to where I sat before the fire and twisted my head toward
him.

"To-night--what?" he demanded.

But that minute I made up my mind not to tell him. He might think the
situation was too much for him and leave, or he might decide he ought to
tell Miss Summers where Dick was. There was no love lost between him and
Mr. Carter.

"To-night--I'm just tired and cranky," I said, "so--is Miss Summers
settled yet?"

He nodded, as if he wasn't thinking of Miss Summers.

"What did you tell her?"

"Hav