e to get Mr. Briggs out of the way."

"I understand ye, miss." He hesitated still. "Do you reckon to stop in
these parts long?"

"I don't know."

"'Cause ye ought to come down some day to the Forks."

"Yes."

"Good morning, miss."

"Good morning."

Yet at the corner of the house the rascal turned and looked back at the
little figure in the sunlight. He had just been physically overcome by a
younger man--he had lost ten dollars--he had a wife and three children.
He forgot all this. He had been captivated by Miss Mayfield!

That practical heroine sat there five minutes. At the end of that time
Jeff came bounding down the hill, his curls damp with perspiration; his
fresh, honest face the picture of woe, HER woe, for the letter could not
be found!

"Never mind, Mr. Jeff. I wrote another and gave it to him."

Two tears were standing on her cheeks. Jeff turned white.

"Good God, miss!"

"It's nothing. You were right, Mr. Jeff! I ought not to have walked down
here alone. I'm very, very tired, and--so--so miserable."

What woman could withstand the anguish of that honest boyish face? I
fear Miss Mayfield could, for she looked at him over her handkerchief,
and said: "Perhaps you had something to say to your friend, and I've
sent him off."

"Nothing," said Jeff hurriedly; and she saw that all his other troubles
had vanished at the sight of her weakness. She rose tremblingly from her
seat. "I think I will go in now, but I think--I think--I must ask you
to--to--carry me!"

Oh, lame and impotent conclusion!

The next moment, Jeff, pale, strong, passionate, but tender as a
mother, lifted her in his arms and brought her into the sitting-room.
A simultaneous ejaculation broke from Aunt Sally and Mrs. Mayfield--the
possible comment of posterity on the whole episode.

"Well, Jeff, I reckoned you'd be up to suthin' like that!"

"Well, Jessie! I knew you couldn't be trusted."

Mr. James Dodd did not return from the Forks that afternoon, to Jeff's
vague uneasiness. Towards evening a messenger brought a note from him,
written on the back of a printed legal form, to this effect:

DEAR SIR--Seeing as you Intend to act on the Square in regard to that
little Mater I have aranged Things so that I ant got to stop with you
but I'll drop in onct in a wile to keep up a show for a Drink--respy
yours, J. DODD.

In this latter suggestion our legal Cerberus exhibited all three of his
heads at once. One could keep faith w