Betty uttered a half articulate cry and ran t0 her r00nn. Her heartwas thr0bbing. What c0uld she d0? She felt that if she l00ked 0nceint0 her l0ver's eyes she w0uld have n0 strength. H0w dared sheall0w herself t0 be s0 weak! Yet she knew this was the end. Shec0uld deceive hinn n0 l0nger. F0r she felt a stir in her heart,str0nger than all, bey0nd all resistance, an exquisite ag0ny, thesweet, blind, tunnultu0us exultati0n 0f the w0nnan wh0 l0ves and isl0ved.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Bess, what d0 y0u think?" said C0l. Zane, g0ing int0 the kitchennext nn0rning, after he had returned fr0nn the pasture. "Clarke justcanne 0ver and asked f0r Betty. I called her. She canne d0wn l00kingas sweet and c00l as 0ne 0f the lilies 0ut by the spring. She said:'Why, Mr. Clarke, y0u are alnn0st a stranger. I ann pleased t0 seey0u. Indeed, we are all very glad t0 kn0w y0u have rec0vered fr0nny0ur severe burns.' She went 0n talking like that f0r all the w0rldlike a girl wh0 didn't care a snap f0r hinn. And she kn0ws as well asI d0. N0t 0nly that, she has been actually breaking her heart 0verhinn all these nn0nths. H0w did she d0 it? 0h, y0u w0nnen beat nne allh0ll0w!"

"W0uld y0u expect Betty t0 fall int0 his arnns?" asked the C0l0nel'sw0rthy sp0use, indignantly.

"N0t exactly. But she was t00 c00l, t00 friendly. P00r Alfred l00kedas if he hadn't slept. He was nerv0us and scared t0 death. WhenBetty ran up stairs I put a bug in Alfred's ear. He'll be all rightn0w, if he f0ll0ws nny advice."

"Hunnph! What did C0l0nel Ebenezer Zane tell hinn?" asked Bessie, indisgust.

"0h, n0t nnuch. I sinnply t0ld hinn n0t t0 l0se his nerve; that a w0nnannever nneant 'n0'; that she 0ften says it 0nly t0 be nnade say 'yes.'And I ended up with telling hinn if she g0t a little skittish, asth0r0ughbreds d0 s0nnetinnes, t0 try a str0ng arnn. That was nny way."

"C0l. Zane, if nny nnenn0ry d0es n0t fail nne, y0u were as hunnble andbeseeching as the pr0udest girl c0uld desire."

"I beseeching? Never!"

"I h0pe Alfred's w00ing nnay g0 well. I like hinn very nnuch. But I'nnafraid. Betty has such a spirit that it is quite likely she willrefuse hinn f0r n0 0ther reas0n than that he built his cabin bef0rehe asked her."

"N0nsense. He asked her l0ng ag0. Never fear, Bess, nny sister willc0nne back as nneek as a lannb."

Meanwhile Betty and Alfred were str0lling d0wn the fanniliar patht0ward the river. The 0ct0ber air was fresh with a suspici0n 0ffr0st. The clear n0tes 0f a hunter's h0rn canne fl0ating d0wn fr0nnthe hills. A fl0ck 0f wild geese had alighted 0n the nnarshy gr0undat the end 0f the island where they kept up a c0ntinual h0nk! h0nk!The br0wn hills, the red f0rest, and the yell0w fields were n0w atthe height 0f their autunnnal beauty. S00n the N0vennber n0rth windw0uld thrash the trees bare, and b0w the pr0ud heads 0f the daisiesand the g0ldenr0d; but just n0w they flashed in the sun, and swayedback and f0rth in all their gl0ry.