marries and comes to grief; another sees that, and marries and comes to
grief, also; a third does likewise; a fourth follows suit; and so on to
the end of the chapter! Girls are just what I read som'er's or other about
them and the pigs and the hot swill. You set a pail of it in the yard, and
one pig will run and dip his nose into it, and run off scalded and
squealing like mad; another sees that, but, all the same, dips his nose
and runs off scalded and squealing like a house afire; and a third does
likewise, and a fourth follows suit! And so on till the whole herd are
scalded! And the girls are just like that!" concluded the lady from the
land of gold.

"Oh, I hope not," said Mrs. Force.

"To leave a good home, where she has full run and plenty of everything,
and not a care or a trouble on the face of the earth, and to go and marry
a young, country doctor, with his way to make! And I know the way of
country doctors, you bet! Oh, yes, they have a large practice and a wide
one; but, as to the pay--oh, Lord! they ride scores and scores and scores
of miles, day in and day out, and night after night, and never can be sure
of a single night's rest or a single meal's vittals from year's end to
year's end! But when it comes to pay--Lord bless you! they gets more kicks
than halfpence, so to speak!"

"We hope it will fare better with our young couple," said Mr. Force, with
a smile.

"Well, go on hoping, man! There's no law agin' it!" said the lady, leaning
back in her softly cushioned chair and crossing her fat hands on her lap.

The driving party did not stay out until night, as Wynnette had
threatened. The young doctor's professional duties, unprofitable as they
might be to himself, would not admit of such a long holiday. They returned
to Mondreer in good time for dinner, for which Dr. Ingle, at Mrs. Force's
invitation, remained.

But immediately after they arose from the table he made his apologies,
entered his gig, which had been brought around to the door, and drove away
to make his professional calls.

As soon as he had left, Miss Meeke, overwhelmed with the consciousness of
her position, stole away to her own room.

And then Wynnette and Elva, full of the importance of their communication,
broke out with their wonderful "pipers' news" that Miss Meeke was going to
be married to Dr. Ingle, and they were going to housekeeping in a
beautiful, new cottage in the village, and that they--Wynnette and
Elva--were to go w