ears
that stretch from now back until the day of my birth? "I am going to
bear it bravely and hold up my head and tell Jane--"

"I wouldn't bother to hold up my head to tell her, Evelina," came from
the doorway in Polk's delighted drawl as he and Jane stepped into the
room. "Pretty comfortably placed, that head, I should say."

"Oh, Jane!" I positively wailed as I extracted myself from the Crag's
gray arms and buried myself in Jane's white serge ones that opened to
receive me. And the seconds that I rested silently there Polk spent in
shaking both of the Crag's hands and pounding him on the back so that I
grew alarmed.

"I didn't do it, Jane, I didn't do it," I almost sobbed with fear of
what her disappointment was going to be. "He beat me to it!"

"Truly. I'm sorry," Cousin James added to my apology as he stood with
his arm on Polk's shoulder.

"I dare you, _dare_, you to tell 'em, Jane," Polk suddenly said, coming
over and putting a hand on one of my shoulders and one on Jane's.

"Evelina and Mr. Hardin," Jane answered gallantly with her head assuming
its lovely independent pose, but with the most wonderful blush spreading
the beauty that always ought to have been hers all over her one-time
plain face, "the wager stands as won by Evelina Shelby. She had properly
prepared the ground and sowed the seed of justice and right thinking
that I--I harvested to-night. I had the honor of offering marriage to
Mr. Hayes just about fifteen minutes ago. I consider that mode of
procedure proved as feasible and as soon as I have received my answer,
whatever it is, I shall immediately proceed with making the endowment
and choosing the five young women according to the agreement."

"Polk!" I exclaimed, turning to him in a perfect panic of alarm. Could
he be trifling with Jane?

"Evelina," answered Polk, giving me a shake and a shove over in the
direction of the Crag, "you ought to know me better than to think I
would answer such a question as Jane put to me, while driving a cranky
car in waning moonlight. If you and James will just mercifully betake
yourselves out there on the porch in the cold for a few minutes I will
try and add my data to this equality experiment with due dignity. Go!"

We went!

"Love-woman," whispered the Crag, after I had broken it to him that we
were going to be a Governor of Tennessee, and not a railroad attorney,
and he had crooned his "Swing Low" over me and rocked me against his
breast for a cent