am afraid that Mrs. Hamilton will
refuse to give her consent to Mary's going out there, and I am sure,
too, that she will never consent to our marriage if I intend to bring
her down here to live. She seems to have a holy horror of Texas; for
that state has the name, you know, all over this part of the country as
being a place for which all law-breakers leave when the sheriff gets
after them. We had that idea, too, until we stayed down there among
them for a few months; but there are no better people in the world, on
an average, than we have found the citizens of Texas to be."

"Well, Terry, let's take a run up to Fredonia and have a talk with the
girls and their mothers. We may be able to persuade Mrs. Hamilton to our
way of thinking." So a few days later they took the train up to
Fredonia, without having notified the girls of their intention of doing
so.

It so happened that on that very day Evelyn and Mary took a ride over on
Main street, and when they had finished their little shopping Evelyn
suggested that they drive up to the depot and see the train pass.

They did so, and were never more surprised in their lives than when they
saw Fred and Terry emerge from the cars.

"Oh, Mary!" exclaimed Evelyn, "there are Fred and brother!"

"Where? Where?" Mary questioned.

"Why, don't you see them coming there with their valises in their
hands?" and the two girls threw their arms around each other's necks and
kissed each other in their great joy at seeing their sweethearts.

Fred and Terry saw the carriage and at once left the station platform
and started toward it.

Evelyn sprang out of the carriage, ran to Terry, threw her arms around
his neck and kissed him only as a loving sister can.

Fred dropped his valise, and, catching her in his arms, kissed her on
both cheeks, while probably a score of spectators stood looking on; but
then neither of them cared for that, for every man, woman and child in
Fredonia knew of their engagement.

"Dear," said Fred, "how did you know that we were coming up?"

"Fred, I really can't say. Mary and I were down on Main street shopping.
Suddenly the thought of you and brother came into my head and my heart
suggested that we come up here, although both of us were ignorant that
you boys were coming up on that train."

"Well, bless that dear heart," said Fred, as he assisted her into the
carriage.

Of course, the Olcott and Hamilton families were greatly surprised.

Fred explained