what they said, and what they didn't say, and why they sometimes smiled with their eyes, and why they sometimes looked at each other very solemnly indeed, immediately thereafter speaking in voices which were none too steady.

And, when the custard was finished, you can imagine how gently Mary unpropped him and asked him if he felt better, and you can imagine what he said and how he said it, and whether or not (as soon as she was gone) he began to look forward to the next custard!

This went on for about a fortnight, and then one noon Dame Ellison went down into the kitchen on the broad grin, and winked her eye at Ma'm Dubois. "It won't be long," she said, facetiously pointing to the ceiling with her thumb.

It pleased Ma'm Dubois to effect a density which was foreign to her nature.

"What won't be long?" she coldly inquired.

"Those two young uns," beamed the other. "He's been watching the clock since half-past ten, and the minute she went in the room their eyes glued together as if they'd never let go. It won't be long, I tell you. You mark my words!

"What!" cried Ma'm Dubois, "you think she will throw all her money away for him?"

"She won't be the first."

Ah, my friend, you must warn her. She will listen to you.'

"Not I! If she's got spunk enough to shut her ears to the money, I'm sure she won't listen to me. Let nature alone, say I. Money ain't everything. Why, if I'd had all the money in the world fifty years ago, when I lost my little girl, I'd have given every cent of it to have her back again."

"For a leetle girl, yes. But a husband, he is different. It was a husband, for example, who left me this souvenir. And I say it is wicked—yes, wicked!-to let this poor child run in with blindfold' eyes and lose every dollar she has in the world."

"But what are you going to do?" demanded Dame Ellison. "You've lived long enough to know that it's no use talking in a case like this. Why, my folks talked me deaf, dumb and blind against marryin' Abner Ellison, but I went right on and married him just the same a little sooner, if anything. So what are you going to do, I'd like to know?"

"What am I going to do?" repeated Ma'm Dubois. You ask me what I "Suddenly she felt silent, because a really clever plan had entered her mind at that very moment,

am going

"Don't you fret yourself what I am going to do," she concluded with a mysterious nod of her head. "I know! I am not like the leetle pig's tail, which goes all the day and does nothing! I know what I'm going to do!"

CHAPTER X

At the end of a fortnight Mary had discovered many an interesting fact about her invalid. Bit by bit he had come out of his bandages-a terribly exciting process for Mary. "Yes; he's really handsome!" she thought with satisfaction. "I'm so glad he's not one of those pretty men!" From which you can draw your own conclusions.

For my part, I believe in the saying that Handsome is as Handsome Does, and Mary's hero certainly had a pair of honest brown eyes and a capable chin. Mary had also discovered that his name was William Morgan, that he was a graduate of Storr's Agricultural College, that he had no relations but a brother in Oregon, and that he was desperately fond of chicken stew. So