gle man, and I'm once
more ANN BRUMMET. spinster, I'll go away and never trouble you again.
There's no risk. I go in ANN BRUMMET, and come out ANN BRUMMET, all
inside of two hours, and there's nobody to tell of it. The lawyer and
minister are used to it, you see, and the secret's safe with _them_."

JEFFRY MAULBOY took an unusually large chew of tobacco, and thought it
all over.

"I won't do it," he finally said.

"All right, then," she replied; "I'll write to Mrs. CUPID and tell her
the whole story, and I'll stay here besides. It'll be hard enough on me
for a while if I go, and harder still if I stay; but I'll do it to
_spite you_. I'll break off your match with Mrs. CUPID if I _do_ stay,
now mark my words."

JEFFRY MAULBOY walked back and forth, and emitted the choicest string
of curses that his extensive and valuable collection enabled him to
cull. At last he stopped in front of her, and said savagely:

"I'll do it. But if you ever lisp a word to any living soul till I'm
safely married to CUPID, I'll kill you, dead sure. Do you hear that?"

"When and how is the thing to be done?" he growled again.

"The sooner the better," was ANN'S reply. "If you don't hear from me by
to-morrow noon, go to the Half-way House at Forney's Crag. That's all
_you've_ got to do. I'll have the lawyer and minister both there.
_You'd_ better be there too. That's all I say."

Alone in his room, JEFFRY admitted that ANN had been too smart for him.

"And I'm mighty afraid that, somehow or other, the old she-dragon will
get the best of me yet in this infernal business," he soliloquized.
"Anyhow, I'll sleep on it," and he went to bed.

He got up in the morning, firmly resolved to break his engagement with
ANN.

"She was only bluffing me last night," he said. "She daren't tell
CUPID." But he didn't feel easy for all that.

After breakfast he took his hat and started out.

"Where are you bound, JEFF?" inquired ARCHIBALD.

"Anywhere," was the reply. "Come along."

JEFFRY was awful dull company, so Archibald thought. He took very large
chews of tobacco, and expectorated freely into the eyes of the small
boys whom they chanced to meet, and if he didn't make a good shot, he
swore awfully. Once he went away across a field on purpose to kick a
very small dog, and ARCHIBALD waited for him.

"Why, JEFFRY," said ARCHIBALD, "what ails you? You're awfully down in
the mouth this morning."

"And so you'd be if you was in my boots," was the