nt of the Golden Anchor.

Poor Eloquent was thrown off his mental balance altogether, for to him
this was no ordinary meeting.

Picture the feelings of a young man who thinks he is opening the door
to the baker and finds incarnate spring upon the threshold. Spring in
weather-beaten, well-cut clothes, with a sweet, friendly voice and
adorable, cordial smile.

There she was, sitting opposite Miss Gallup on one slippery horsehair
"easy chair," while her hostess, much beshawled, cushioned and
foot-stooled, sat on the other.

"My dear," Miss Gallup said confidentially, "Em'ly-Alice has gone to
the surgery for my cough mixture and some embrocation, and she takes
such a time. I'm certain she's loitering and gossiping, and she knows
I like my cup of tea at four, and you here, and all; if it wasn't that
my leg's seem to crumble up under me I'd go and get it myself."

"Dear Miss Gallup, don't be hard on Em'ly-Alice," Mary pleaded; "it's
such a lovely afternoon I don't wonder she doesn't exactly hurry. As
for tea, let me get you some tea----"

"I could," Eloquent interposed hastily, "I'm sure I could," and rose
somewhat vaguely to go to the kitchen.

"Let us both get it," Mary cried gaily, "we'll be twice as quick."

And before Miss Gallup could protest they had gone to the kitchen and
she could hear them laughing.

Mary was thoroughly enjoying herself. For three weeks she had poured
out tea for her father solemnly at five o'clock and been snubbed for
her pains.

Here were two people who liked her, who were glad to see her, who
thought it kind of her to come. No girl can be wholly unconscious of
admiration; nor, when it is absolutely reverential, can she resent it,
and Mary felt no displeasure in Eloquent's.

They could neither of them cut bread and butter. It was a plateful of
queerly shaped bits that went in on the tray; but there was an egg for
Miss Gallup, and the tea was excellent.

Miss Gallup began to feel more leniently disposed towards Em'ly-Alice.
"She's done for me pretty well on the whole," she told Mary. "Doctor,
he wanted me to have the parish nurse over to Marle Abbas, but I don't
hold with those new-fangled young women."

"She's a dear," said Mary; "mother thinks all the world of her."

"May be, may be," Miss Gallup said dryly; "but when you come to my time
of life you've your own opinion about draughts. And as for that
constant bathin' and washin', I don't hold with it at all. A bed's a