fort and happiness? In fact, my house had never been such a happy
home as it was at that time. The fact of its unwarranted position upon
other people's grounds had ceased to trouble me.

But the coming son George, with his jack-screws, did trouble me very
much, and that afternoon I deliberately went into Mrs. Carson's house
to look for Kitty. I knew her mother was not at home, for I had seen
her go out. When Kitty appeared I asked her to come out on her back
porch. "Have you thought of any new plan of moving it?" she said, with
a smile, as we sat down.

"No," said I, earnestly. "I have not, and I don't want to think of any
plan of moving it. I am tired of seeing it here, I am tired of
thinking about moving it away, and I am tired of hearing people talk
about moving it. I have not any right to be here, and I am never
allowed to forget it. What I want to do is to go entirely away, and
leave everything behind me--except one thing."

"And what is that?" asked Kitty.

"You," I answered.

She turned a little pale and did not reply.

"You understand me, Kitty," I said. "There is nothing in the world
that I care for but you. What have you to say to me?"

Then came back to her her little smile. "I think it would be very
foolish for us to go away," she said.

It was about a quarter of an hour after this when Kitty proposed that
we should go out to the front of the house; it would look queer if any
of the servants should come by and see us sitting together like that.
I had forgotten that there were other people in the world, but I went
with her.

We were standing on the front porch, close to each other, and I think
we were holding each other's hands, when Mrs. Carson came back. As she
approached she looked at us inquiringly, plainly wishing to know why we
were standing side by side before her door as if we had some special
object in so doing.

"Well?" said she, as she came up the steps. Of course it was right
that I should speak, and, in as few words as possible, I told her what
Kitty and I had been saying to each other. I never saw Kitty's mother
look so cheerful and so handsome as when she came forward and kissed
her daughter and shook hands with me. She seemed so perfectly
satisfied that it amazed me. After a little Kitty left us, and then
Mrs. Carson asked me to sit by her on a rustic bench.

"Now," said she, "this will straighten out things in the very best way.
When you are married, you and Kit