books I did not bring here."

"But won't you want these with you?"

"As far from that as possible. Do you think you could make up your mind
to let me tell Reuben a secret?--and give him a reason for being even
more devoted to you than he is now?"

She coloured very brightly again. "I am willing--if you wish it. Why,
Endecott?"

"The chief reason is, that I do not wish to lose any of your letters,
nor have you lose any of mine. And small postoffices are not so safe as
large ones, nor are their managers proverbially silent. I should like
to make Reuben a sort of intermediate office."

"And send your letters to him?"

"Yes. Would you mind that?"

"And my letters?"

"And yours in like manner, little Mignonette. He could either enclose
them to me, or put them in some neighbouring office,--I think Reuben
would enjoy an eight miles walk a day, taken for me. Or you could hide
your envelope with another, and let him direct that. You need not be
afraid of Reuben,"--Mr. Linden said smiling,--"you might give him forty
letters without his once daring to look at you."

"But I thought--you said--he was going to college next summer?"

"That was talked of, but I think he will stay another year at home, and
then enter a higher class. It will save expense, and he will be longer
with his father. Reuben and I hope to be brother ministers, one day,
Faith."

"Do you! Does he!"--said Faith astonished. "That is good! I am glad of
it. But what will _he_ do for money, Endecott?"

"We shall see--part of the way is clear, so we may hope the rest will
be. Perhaps I may let him do some of his studying with me. Do you think
you would object to that?"

"Object to it! How could I? What do you mean, Endecott?"

"O little Mignonette!" he said smiling, "how sweet you are!--and what
joy it would be to see you wear the only title I can give you! Don't
you know, pretty child, that if I gave Reuben Hebrew you might be
called upon to give him--tea!"

Faith's eyes went down and her colour mounted, and mounted. But her
next remark was extremely collected. "How good it was Dr. Harrison's
money came!"--

"I believe you stipulated that we were to have tea ourselves," said Mr.
Linden, "but the question remains whether you would dispense it to any
one else."

Faith was only restrained from covering her face again by the feeling
that it would be foolish; and withal a little laughter could not be
prevented. She did shield one side of her face wit