are, put out his hand, and for several moments stroke her nose.

"An' did you see dat?" Uncle Zack yelled in high glee.

"I wouldn't have missed it for a million," the old gentleman cried.

"Mebbe she don' need no oats now! But I reckon she'd better have 'em,
wid yoh com'liments, jest de same!"

"I wish Jane could have seen it," the Colonel murmured, keeping his eyes
on them.

"Dar ain' no reason why she cyarn' be tol' 'bout it," Zack winked to
himself, starting to the stables for a full measure of oats.

At the Colonel's request she came over early in the afternoon to see to
the decorations for his table, and brought a bag with the idea of
dressing there. While carrying this into the house Zack graphically made
known the drama in the pasture--which may or may not have been the
reason why, an hour later as she moved about the flowers, the old
gentleman several times wondered why he had never before remarked the
beauty of her voice.

This dinner was a new institution at Arden. It came into existence with
the opening day of school, when the old gentleman announced his
intention of entertaining after each commencement for the girl who had
made the greatest progress. When Jane told him a week ago that Nancy was
to be his guest of honor, he had received the news as though she were a
princess. However he might have flinched inside, no suspicion of it
reached as far as his eyes or face. That very night other guests were
appropriately selected from the neighborhood, and the invitations sent
forthwith.

The sun hung low in the sky when the surveyors returned. Dale, as might
have been expected, came leading, and dashed up the steps with scarcely
a nod to the Colonel who sat amusedly looking on. He impetuously entered
the library, searched feverishly along the shelves for a text book on
surveying that he had previously seen, jerked it out and began to scan
its pages. Brent, on the other hand, was dragging himself along,
groaning wearily. When he reached the porch he flopped into a chair and
again groaned.

"Uncle Zack, you'll have to bring my dinner up stairs. I can't dress, or
anything!"

"Why, sir," the Colonel turned in alarm, "what has happened?"

"Everything's happened," Brent groaned. "That boob in there walked my
legs off, and talked my head off, and I'm all in! Gee!--push my foot out
a little farther, Uncle Zack! Oh, Lord! Can't somebody catch somebody's
eye? The seven-year drought of Egypt's in my throat!"