tock did
not appear at all the same woman, but Philip saw only Elnora; heard only
her greeting. He caught both hands where she offered but one.

"Elnora," he cried, "if you were engaged to me, and we were at a ball,
among hundreds, where I offended you very much, and didn't even know I
had done anything, and if I asked you before all of them to allow me
to explain, to forgive me, to wait, would your face grow distorted and
unfamiliar with anger? Would you drop my ring on the floor and insult me
repeatedly? Oh Elnora, would you?"

Elnora's big eyes seemed to leap, while her face grew very white. She
drew away her hands.

"Hush, Phil! Hush!" she protested. "That fever has you again! You are
dreadfully ill. You don't know what you are saying."

"I am sleepless and exhausted; I'm heartsick; but I am well as I ever
was. Answer me, Elnora, would you?"

"Answer nothing!" cried Mrs. Comstock. "Answer nothing! Hang your coat
there on your nail, Phil, and come split some kindling. Elnora, clean
away that stuff, and set the table. Can't you see the boy is starved and
tired? He's come home to rest and eat a decent meal. Come on, Phil!"

Mrs. Comstock marched away, and Philip hung his coat in its old place
and followed. Out of sight and hearing she turned on him.

"Do you call yourself a man or a hound?" she flared.

"I beg your pardon----" stammered Philip Ammon.

"I should think you would!" she ejaculated. "I'll admit you did the
square thing and was a man last summer, though I'd liked it better if
you'd faced up and told me you were promised; but to come back here
babying, and take hold of Elnora like that, and talk that way because
you have had a fuss with your girl, I don't tolerate. Split that
kindling and I'll get your supper, and then you better go. I won't have
you working on Elnora's big heart, because you have quarrelled with some
one else. You'll have it patched up in a week and be gone again, so you
can go right away."

"Mrs. Comstock, I came to ask Elnora to marry me."

"The more fool you, then!" cried Mrs. Comstock. "This time yesterday you
were engaged to another woman, no doubt. Now, for some little flare-up
you come racing here to use Elnora as a tool to spite the other girl.
A week of sane living, and you will be sorry and ready to go back to
Chicago, or, if you really are man enough to be sure of yourself, she
will come to claim you. She has her rights. An engagement of years is a
serious matter, and