up and going to make sure that Claude's heavy underwear
had been put into his trunk, against the chance of cold in the
mountains; or creeping downstairs to see that the six roasted
chickens which were to help out at the wedding supper were
securely covered from the cats. As she went about these tasks,
she prayed constantly. She had not prayed so long and fervently
since the battle of the Marne.

Early the next morning Ralph loaded the big car with the presents
and baskets of food and ran down to the Royces'. Two motors from
town were already standing in the mill yard; they had brought a
company of girls who came with all the June roses in Frankfort to
trim the house for the wedding. When Ralph tooted his horn,
half-a-dozen of them ran out to greet him, reproaching him
because he had not brought his brother along. Ralph was
immediately pressed into service. He carried the step-ladder
wherever he was told, drove nails, and wound thorny sprays of
rambler roses around the pillars between the front and back
parlours, making the arch under which the ceremony was to take
place.

Gladys Farmer had not been able to leave her classes at the High
School to help in this friendly work, but at eleven o'clock a
livery automobile drove up, laden with white and pink peonies
from her front yard, and bringing a box of hothouse flowers she
had ordered for Enid from Hastings. The girls admired them, but
declared that Gladys was extravagant, as usual; the flowers from
her own yard would really have been enough. The car was driven by
a lank, ragged boy who worked about the town garage, and who was
called "Silent Irv," because nobody could ever get a word out of
him. He had almost no voice at all,--a thin little squeak in the
top of his throat, like the gasping whisper of a medium in her
trance state. When he came to the front door, both arms full of
peonies, he managed to wheeze out:

"These are from Miss Farmer. There are some more down there."

The girls went back to his car with him, and he took out a square
box, tied up with white ribbons and little silver bells,
containing the bridal bouquet.

"How did you happen to get these?" Ralph asked the thin boy. "I
was to go to town for them."

The messenger swallowed. "Miss Farmer told me if there were any
other flowers at the station marked for here, I should bring them
along."

"That was nice of her." Ralph thrust his hand into his trousers
pocket. "How much? I'll settle with you b