d it takin' the biscuit out of the oven," she groaned.

"Why, it's an awful burn. Don't you want something on it?"

"No, I don't mind no burns."

Suddenly Mrs. Maxwell moved away from her nephew. She began arranging
the plates on the table. "You go into the parlor," said she sharply,
"an' don't you let 'em know you didn't know about it. You act kind of
easy an' natural when they speak about it. You go right in; tea won't
be ready quite yet. I've got something a little extra to see about."

Francis went into the parlor and greeted the guests, shaking hands
with them rather boyishly and awkwardly. The minister's wife made
room for him on the sofa beside her.

"I suppose you'd like to hear about your cousin's wedding that I went
to this afternoon," said she, with a blandness that had a covert
meaning to the other women, who listened eagerly.

"Yes, I would," replied Francis, with steady gravity.

"I suppose it wasn't such a surprise to you as it was to us?" said
she directly, and the other women panted.

"No, I suppose it wasn't," said Francis.

Mrs. Lowe and Mrs. Robbins glanced at each other.

"_He_ knew," Mrs. Lowe motioned with her lips, nodding.

"_She_ didn't," Mrs. Robbins motioned back, shaking her head.

Francis sat beside the minister's wife. She talked on about the
wedding, and he listened soberly and assentingly.

"Well, it will be your turn next, Francis," said she, with a sly
graciousness, and the young man reddened, and laughed constrainedly.

Francis seldom glanced at Lois, but it was as if her little figure in
the window was all he saw in the room. She seemed so near his
consciousness that she shut out all else besides. Lois did not look
at him, but once in a while she put up her hand and arranged the hair
on her forehead, and after she had done so felt as if she saw herself
with his eyes. The air was growing cool; presently Lois coughed.

"You'd better come away from that window," said Mrs. Field, speaking
out suddenly.

There was no solicitude in her tone; it was more like harsh command.
Everybody looked at Lois; Francis with an anxious interest. He partly
arose as if to make room for her on the sofa, but she simply moved
her chair farther back. Presently Francis went over and shut the
window.

The minister, Mr. Tuxbury, and Mrs. Robbin's husband all arrived
together shortly afterward. Mrs. Maxwell announced that tea was
ready.

"Will you please walk out to tea?" said she, standing