n every direction.
He transferred a bat to his left hand to give Mrs. Bond a cheerfully
assured greeting, and, with the freedom of long-gone days when he had
played in the back lot with the Peneyre children, he addressed the
young people as "Mary" and "Tom." If three of the party thought him
decidedly "fresh," Sammy had no such criticism. She evidently adored
her lover.

It was at her suggestion, civilly indorsed by the others, that he came
to the house a few hours later for dinner. It was a painful meal. Mr.
Gayley did not hesitate to monopolize the conversation. He was
accustomed to admiration--too completely accustomed, in fact, to
perceive that on this occasion it was wanting.

After dinner he sang--having quite frankly offered to sing. Mary played
his accompaniments, and Sammy leaned on the closed cover of her
mother's wonderful old grand piano--sadly out of tune in these
days!--and watched him. Tom, frankly rude, went to bed. Mary,
determined that the engaged pair should not be encouraged any further
than was unavoidable, stuck gallantly to her post.

Mrs. Bond sat watching, useless regrets filling her heart. How sweet
the child was! How full of possibilities! How true the gray eyes were!
How stubborn the mouth might be! Sammy's power to do what she willed to
do, in the face of all obstacles, had been notable since her babyhood.
Her aunt looked from the ardent, virginal little head to the florid,
handsome face of the singer, and her heart was sick within her.

Anthony Gayley came to the train to see them off, two weeks later, and
Sammy kissed him good-by before the eyes of all Wheatfield. She had
made her own conditions in consenting to make the Eastern visit. She
was going merely to buy her trousseau; the subject of her engagement
was never to be discussed; and every one--EVERY one--she met was to
know at once that she was going back to Wheatfield immediately to be
married in December.

Anthony had agreed to wait until then.

"It isn't as if every one knew it, Kid," he said sensibly to his
fiancee; "it gives me a chance to save a little, and it's not so hard
on mother. Besides, I'm looking out for a partner, and I'll have to
work him in."

"I wonder you don't think of entering some other business, Anthony,"
Mrs. Bond said, to this remark. "You're young enough to try anything.
It's such a--it's such hard work, you know."

"I've often thought I'd like to be an actor," said Mr. Gayley,
carelessly; "but th