y to the stock of apples he daily
carried into the cars.

"You gin me this," he said, nodding to Mark, "and you," turning to
Helen, "poked him up to it."

"Well then, if I did," Mark replied, laying his hand on the boy's coarse
hair, "if I did, you must take good care of Miss Lennox when I am gone.
I leave her in your charge. She is to be my wife."

"Gorry, I thought so," and Bill's cap went toward the plastering just as
the last string of popcorn was given from the tree, and the exercises
were about to close.

It was not in Aunt Betsy's nature to keep her secret till this time, and
simultaneously with Billy's going up for his gift she whispered it to
her neighbor, who whispered it to hers, until nearly all the audience
knew of it, and kept their seats after the benediction was pronounced.

At a sign from the rector, Katy went with her mother to the altar,
followed by Uncle Ephraim, his wife, and Aunt Betsy, while Helen,
throwing off the cloud she had worn upon her head, and giving it, with
her cloak and fur, into Billy's charge, took Mark's offered arm, and
with beating heart and burning cheeks passed between the sea of eyes
fixed so curiously upon her, up to where Katy once had stood on the June
morning when she had been the bride. Not now, as then, were aching
hearts present at that bridal. No Marian Hazelton fainted by the door;
no Morris felt the world grow dark and desolate as the marriage vows
were spoken; and no sister doubted if it were all right and would end in
happiness. Only Katy seemed sad as she recalled the past, praying that
Helen's life might not be like hers.

The ceremony lasted but a few moments, and then the astonished audience
pressed around the bride, offering their kindly congratulations, and
proving to Mark Ray that the bride he had won was dear to others as well
as to himself. Lovingly he drew her hand beneath his arm, fondly he
looked down upon her as he led her back to her chair by the register,
making her sit down while he tied on her cloak and adjusted the fur
about her neck.

"Handy and gentle as a woman," was the verdict pronounced upon him by
the female portion of the congregation as they passed out into the
street, talking of the ceremony, and contrasting Helen's husband with
the haughty Wilford, who was not a favorite with them.

It was Billy Brown who brought Mark's cutter around, holding the reins
while Mark helped Helen, and then tucking the buffalo robes about her
with t