orse in our barn. He was all spruced up, and as nervous and excited as
a schoolboy. He went right over to Prissy, and I began to tuft my new
comfort with a clear conscience. I shall never know why it suddenly came
into my head to go up to the garret and make sure that the moths hadn't
got into my box of blankets; but I always believed that it was a special
interposition of Providence. I went up and happened to look out of the
east window; and there I saw Emmeline Strong coming home across our pond
field.

I just flew down those garret stairs and out through the birches. I
burst into the Strong kitchen, where Stephen and Prissy were sitting as
cozy as you please.

"Stephen, come quick! Emmeline's nearly here," I cried.

Prissy looked out of the window and wrung her hands.

"Oh, she's in the lane now," she gasped. "He can't get out of the house
without her seeing him. Oh, Rosanna, what shall we do?"

I really don't know what would have become of those two people if I
hadn't been in existence to find ideas for them.

"Take Stephen up to the garret and hide him there, Prissy," I said
firmly, "and take him quick."

Prissy took him quick, but she had barely time to get back to the
kitchen before Emmeline marched in--mad as a wet hen because somebody
had been ahead of her offering to sit up with Jane Lawson, and so she
lost the chance of poking and prying into things while Jane was asleep.
The minute she clapped eyes on Prissy she suspected something. It wasn't
any wonder, for there was Prissy, all dressed up, with flushed cheeks
and shining eyes. She was all in a quiver of excitement, and looked ten
years younger.

"Priscilla Strong, you've been expecting Stephen Clark here this
evening!" burst out Emmeline. "You wicked, deceitful, underhanded,
ungrateful creature!"

And she went on storming at Prissy, who began to cry, and looked so weak
and babyish that I was frightened she would betray the whole thing.

"This is between you and Prissy, Emmeline," I struck in, "and I'm not
going to interfere. But I want to get you to come over and show me how
to tuft my comfort that new pattern you learned in Avonlea, and as it
had better be done before dark I wish you'd come right away."

"I s'pose I'll go," said Emmeline ungraciously, "but Priscilla shall
come, too, for I see that she isn't to be trusted out of my sight after
this."

I hoped Stephen would see us from the garret window and make good his
escape. But I didn't