ed in a tree."

"It must be a happy secret to make you dance like that."

"Oh," said she, snuggling up to him, putting her head on his shoulder,
"it is the gayest, pleasantest, hopefulest secret a girl ever had. If I
don't hold my hands over my mouth, it will break out of me."

"Does Jarvis know?"

"Oats, peas, beans, and barley grows,
You, nor he, nor nobody knows!"

she laughed. "It's going to be the most amusing moment of my life when I
spring it on the two of you."

"When is that to be?"

"Curiosity is death to mathematicians," she warned him, nor could he
extract another word from behind the hand she held over her
laughing mouth.

XX

"Appointment at three o'clock, Tuesday afternoon," announced Strong's
wire on Monday morning.

"Hurray!" shouted Bambi, rushing into the kitchen to break the news to
Ardelia, since the Professor was not there.

"Noo Yawk, bress yo'! Ain't dat fine? Yo' gwine see Mistah Jarvis?"

"Of course I'll see him."

"Yo' can tote him back home, mebbe."

"I'll take the early morning train to-morrow."

"I reckon I'll fry up some chicken an' bake some cakes, so yo' can tote
it right along wid yo'."

"Now, look here, Ardelia. I'm not going to pack any basket along on the
train to New York. Jarvis can buy his fried chicken there."

"He say dey ain't no cookin' lak' dere is in dis town."

"Well, it will have to do for a little longer. I'll have my bag and
plenty to carry."

"Yo' ain't got no nat'chal feelin' fo' dat boy," Ardelia scolded her.

When the Professor heard the news he evinced a mild surprise.

"Have you any money for this trip? I'm a trifle short, now. The bank
notified me yesterday that I was overdrawn."

"Professor, not again? What is the use of being a mathematician if you
are always overdrawn?"

"The trouble is I forget to look at my balance. I just continue to draw
until I am notified. You will see Jarvis, of course?"

"Yes."

"You say you have business to attend to in the city?"

"Yes."

"About the secret?"

"Yes."

"Is the moment of disclosure approaching?"

She nodded.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck, my dear."

"Thanks, Herr Professor."

She took the early train in high good humour the next morning, clad in
her most fetching frock.

"Even a stony-hearted manager could not be impervious to this hat," was
her parting comment to her glass.

She was very undecided as to whether she would go straight to Jarvis's
lodgings and