her home.

'Well, if you will, you will,' she said, laughingly; and bidding Ann
Eliza good-bye, and telling Tom to give her love to Maude and say to her
that she did not believe she should be at the park that day, she had so
much to do, she was soon in the dog-cart with Billy, whose face was
radiant as he gathered up the reins and started down the turnpike,
driving at what Jerrie thought a very slow pace, as she was anxious to
get home.

Something of Billy's thoughts must have communicated itself to Jerrie,
for she became nervous and ill at ease and talked rapidly of things in
which she had not the slightest interest.

'What of the lawsuit?' she asked. 'Are you likely to settle it?'

'N-no,' Billy answered, hurriedly. 'It will h-have to co-come into
co-court in a f-few days, and I am aw-awful sorry. I wa-wanted father to
p-pay what they demanded, but he won't. Hal is subpoenaed on the other
side, as he was in our office, and is supposed to know something about
it; b-but I ho-hope he won't da-damage us m-much, as father would
n-never forgive him if he went against us.'

'But he must tell the truth, no matter who is damaged,' Jerrie said.
'Ye-yes' Billy replied, 'of co-course he must, b-but he needn't
volunteer information.'

Jerry began to think that Billy had insisted upon coming with her for
the sake of persuading her to caution Harold against saying too much
when he was called to testify in the great lawsuit between Peterkin &
Co., manufacturers in Shannondale, and Wilson & Co., manufacturers in
Truesdale, an adjoining town; but she was undeceived when her companion
turned suddenly off upon the river road, which would take them at least
two miles out of their way.

'Why are you coming here!' Jerrie said, in real distress. 'It is ever so
much farther, and I must get home. I have piles of work to do.'

'Co-confound the work,' Billy replied, very energetically for him, and
reining his horse up under a wide spreading butternut tree, which grew
upon the river bank, he sprang out and pretended to be busy with some
part of the harness, while he astonished Jerrie by bursting out, without
the least stammer, he was so earnest and so excited: 'I've something to
say to you, Jerrie, and I may as well say it now as any time, and know
the worst, or the best. I can't bear the suspense any longer, and I got
out of the cart so as to stand where I could look you square in the face
while I say it.'

And he was looking her squ