't you?"

"It's a cold process. There's not a particle of fermentation about it."

"Not a particle of fermentation! Great day, Margaret! Look at those
pigs!"

Margaret took a long look. "Leave me a few bottles for mince-meat," she
wavered.

"Not a smell for any use on this earth! You heard the boy! He shan't
say, when he grows to manhood, that he learned to like it here!"

Wesley threw away the wine, Mrs. Comstock cheerfully assisting. Then
they walked to the woods to see and learn about the wonderful insects.
The day ended with a big supper at Sintons', and then they went to the
Comstock cabin for a concert. Elnora played beautifully that night. When
the Sintons left she kissed Billy with particular tenderness. She was
so moved that she was kinder to Philip than she had intended to be, and
Elnora as an antidote to a disappointed lover was a decided success in
any mood.

However strong the attractions of Edith Carr had been, once the bond was
finally broken, Philip Ammon could not help realizing that Elnora was
the superior woman, and that he was fortunate to have escaped, when he
regarded his ties strongest. Every day, while working with Elnora, he
saw more to admire. He grew very thankful that he was free to try to win
her, and impatient to justify himself to her.

Elnora did not evince the slightest haste to hear what he had to say,
but waited the week she had set, in spite of Philip's hourly manifest
impatience. When she did consent to listen, Philip felt before he had
talked five minutes, that she was putting herself in Edith Carr's place,
and judging him from what the other girl's standpoint would be. That was
so disconcerting, he did not plead his cause nearly so well as he had
hoped, for when he ceased Elnora sat in silence.

"You are my judge," he said at last. "What is your verdict?"

"If I could hear her speak from her heart as I just have heard you, then
I could decide," answered Elnora.

"She is on the ocean," said Philip. "She went because she knew she
was wholly in the wrong. She had nothing to say, or she would have
remained."

"That sounds plausible," reasoned Elnora, "but it is pretty difficult to
find a woman in an affair that involves her heart with nothing at all to
say. I fancy if I could meet her, she would say several things. I should
love to hear them. If I could talk with her three minutes, I could tell
what answer to make you."

"Don't you believe me, Elnora?"

"Unquestioningl