"You need not have come for me, as I always prefer a stage; besides
that, I can't go home just yet, I am not ready."

Katy stood a moment in silence, a flush on her cheek and a pallor about
her lips, which Tom Tubbs saw, secretly shaking his fist and thinking
how he would like to knock down the man who could speak so to a wife as
beautiful and sweet as Katy seemed.

"I have not been here before since my illness, and I wanted to come once
more," she said at last, apologetically, while Wilford, still looking
over papers, replied: "A sweet place to come to. I sometimes hate it
myself. By the way, I have something to tell you," and his face began to
brighten. "Mrs. Mills, from Yonkers, was in town to-day, and as she had
not time to see you, she found me and insisted upon your keeping the
promise you made last summer of spending some days with her. The
Beverleys are there and the Lincolns--quite a nice party--so I ventured
to say that you should go out to-morrow and I would come out Saturday
afternoon to spend Sunday."

"Oh, Wilford, I can't," and Katy's lip began to quiver at the very
thought of meeting people like the Beverleys and Lincolns in her present
state of mind.

"You can't! Why not?" Wilford asked, and Katy replied: "I've never been
in so much company as I shall meet there since baby died, and then--did
you forget that it was Lent?"

"You are getting very good to think a few days' visit in the country
will harm you," Wilford replied; "besides that, neither Mrs. Mills, nor
the Beverleys, nor Lincolns, are church people, and cannot, of course,
sympathize in this superstitious fancy."

Katy looked up in astonishment, for never before had she heard Wilford
speak thus of the Fast which his whole family honored. But Wilford was
growing hard, and with a sigh Katy turned away, knowing how useless it
was to reason with him then. Driving home alone, she gave vent to a
passionate flood of tears as she wondered how it all would end. For some
reason Wilford had set his heart upon the visit to Mrs. Mills, a
pleasant, fascinating woman, who liked Katy very much and had
anticipated the promised visit with a great deal of pleasure, making all
her plans with a direct reference to Mrs. Cameron, whose absence would
have been a great disappointment. Wilford knew this and resolved that
Katy should go, and as opposition to his will was always useless, the
close of the next day found Katy at Mrs. Mills' handsome dwelling
overlook