And as for the judge and Ruth Chester, I was glad they were sitting
beside each other, for I could avoid that side of the table with my eyes
until I had steadied myself a few seconds at least. The surprise made
the others I had been dining seem statues from the stone age, and only
Mr. Graves' fork failed to hang fire. His appetite is as strong as his
nerves and Delia Hawes looked at his composure with the relief plain in
her eyes. Henrietta's smile in the judge's direction was doubtful. But
they were not all my lovers and why that awful silence?

I couldn't say a word, and I am sure I don't know what I would have done
if it hadn't been for the doctor. He leaned forward and his deep eyes
came out in their wonderful way and seemed to collect every pair of eyes
at the table, even the most astounded, as he raised his glass. We all
held our breaths and waited for him to speak.

"No wonder we are all stricken dumb at Mrs. Carter's telegram," he said
in his deep voice that commands everybody and everything, even the
terrors of birth and death. "The whole town will be paralyzed at the
news that its most distinguished citizen is only going to give them two
days to get ready to receive him. I can see the panic the brass band
will have now getting the brass shined up, and I want to be the one to
tell Mayor Pollard myself, so as to suggest to him to have at least a
two-hour speech of welcome to hand out at the train. We'll make it one
'hot time' for him when he lands in the old town, and here's to him, God
bless him. Every glass high!" They all drank, and I suppose it helped
them. I wish I could have drained a quart, but I couldn't swallow a sip,
though I did a good stunt of pretending.

[Illustration: "Every glass high"]

The rest of this evening has paid me off for every sin I have ever
committed or am ever going to commit. Tom took Pet home early and I hope
they walked in the moonlight for hours. Tom is the kind of man that any
pretty girl who is loving enough in the moonlight could comfort for
anything. I'm not at all worried about him, but--

The hour I sat on my front steps and talked to Judge Wade must have
brought gray hairs to my head if it was daylight and I could see them.
Ruth Chester had said good-by with the loveliest haunted look in her
great dark eyes and I had felt as if I had killed something that was
alive and that I hadn't killed it enough. Doctor John had been called
from his coffee to a patient and had gon