r her; she had got a new hat with a
long ostrich plume; some said white, some said grey.

Young Thomas kept wondering who the man could be, for he was convinced
that Adelia was going to marry somebody. More than that, once he
caught himself wondering enviously. Adelia was a nice-looking woman,
and he had not so far heard of any probable housekeeper.

"Dang it all," said Young Thomas to himself in desperation. "I
wouldn't care if it was true."

His married sister from Carlisle heard the story and came over to
investigate. Young Thomas denied it shortly, and his sister scolded.
She had devoutly hoped it was true, she said, and it would have been a
great weight off her mind.

"This house is in a disgraceful condition, Thomas," she said severely.
"It would break Mother's heart if she could rise out of her grave to
see it. And Adelia Williams is a perfect housekeeper."

"You didn't use to think so much of the Williams crowd," said Young
Thomas drily.

"Oh, some of them don't amount to much," admitted Maria, "but Adelia
is all right."

Catching sight of an odd look on Young Thomas's face, she added
hastily, "Thomas Everett, I believe it's true after all. Now, is it?
For mercy's sake don't be so sly. You might tell me, your own and only
sister, if it is."

"Oh, shut up," was Young Thomas's unfeeling reply to his own and only
sister.

Young Thomas told himself that night that Valley View gossip would
drive him into an asylum yet if it didn't let up. He also wondered if
Adelia was as much persecuted as himself. No doubt she was. He never
could catch her eye in church now, but he would have been surprised
had he realized how many times he tried to.

The climax came the third week in May, when Young Thomas, who had been
keeping house for himself for three weeks, received a letter and an
express box from his cousin, Charles Everett, out in Manitoba. Charles
and he had been chums in their boyhood. They corresponded occasionally
still, although it was twenty years since Charles had gone west.

The letter was to congratulate Young Thomas on his approaching
marriage. Charles had heard of it through some Valley View
correspondents of his wife. He was much pleased; he had always liked
Adelia, he said--had been an old beau of hers, in fact. Thomas might
give her a kiss for him if he liked. He forwarded a wedding present by
express and hoped they would be very happy, etc.

The present was an elaborate hatrack of polished bu