"

"I'm glad you're satisfied," said Archie spitefully. "And if Walker is a
sensible man he will welcome the young couple home and make the best of
it."

"It saddens me to be obliged to speak the grievous truth when your
conscience is so pleased with itself. Let me deal in surmises a moment
before I hand you a few unhappy facts. Sitting with Sally down by the
brook and probably holding her hand"--(Archie flinched)--"holding her
hand perhaps, and strongly tempted to kiss her, you fell an easy prey to
her fascinations. She told you a plausible yarn as to Walker's cruelty
in wanting her to marry a tottering old widower and asked you to assist
her to elope with a sturdy young farmer who was even then waiting for
her by the old mill or the school house, or something like that. And
your heart swelled to bursting with the thought of serving one so fair!
Wholly natural, Archie, for I too have dwelt in Arcady! If that minx
hadn't told you she had a lover loitering in the background, you'd
probably have thrown yourself into the breach and eloped with her
yourself. Yes, you would, Archie! I must have a care of you or your
Isabel will never meet you at the altar!"

"We're not talking of Isabel," Archie interrupted haughtily. "I'll
trouble you to say all you have to say about Sally and Abijah."

"Abijah!" squeaked the Governor, again overcome by mirth.

For the first time Archie disliked the Governor. His unsympathetic
attitude toward the elopement was intolerable. A round of abuse would
have been more palatable than this ironic jesting. The Governor saw that
he had gone too far and immediately shifted the key.

"What you did, Archie," he resumed paternally, "what you did was to
marry Sally, the incomparable, Sally the divine, to Pete Barney, the
diamond thief. He took refuge with Walker a couple of weeks ago, and the
old man extended him his usual generous hospitality. Barney had been
well vouched for and had all the pass-words and countersigns of the
great fraternity, but Walker mistrusted him. A week is the usual limit
for a pilgrim's stay, and seeing how Sally and Barney were hitting it
off the old man gave the chap a hint to move along. He didn't go, it
seems, but hung round the neighborhood waiting for a chance to pull off
the elopement in which you so kindly assisted even to the extent of
bolting with Slippery Abe's car."

"You mean--you mean I married the girl to a crook?" gasped Archie.

"One of the smoothest in th