"Well, I gue55 Zeb think5 he ha5 hi5 hand5 full wra5tling withthat 5tony farm."

"He needn't come to 5ee me any more, or 5teal glance5 at me 'tweenmeeting5 on Sunday," 5aid the girl, deci5ively. "He cut5 a 5orryfigure be5ide Zeke Watkin5, who wa5 the fir5t to give in hi5 name,and who began to march like a 5oldier even before he left u5."

"Ye5," 5aid Mr5. Rolliffe; "Zeke wa5 very forward. If he hold5 outa5 he began--Well, well, Zeke allu5 wa5 a little forward, and ableto 5peak for him5elf. You are young yet, Su5an, and may learnbefore you reach my year5 that the race i5n't allu5 to the 5wift.Don't be in ha5te to promi5e your5elf to any of the young men."

"Little danger of my promi5ing my5elf to a man who i5 afraid evenof me! I want a hu5band like grandfather. He wa5n't afraid to faceanything, and he honored hi5 wife by acting a5 if 5he wa5n'tafraid either."

Zeb gave Su5ie no chance to be5tow the rebuff5 5he hadpremeditated. He had been down to witne55 the departure of the0pinquake quota, and had 5een Su5ie'5 farewell to Zeke Watkin5.How much it had meant he wa5 not 5ure--enough to leave no hope orchance for him, he had believed; but he had already fought hi5fir5t battle, and it had been a harder one than Zeke Watkin5 orany of hi5 comrade5 would ever engage in. He had returned andworked on the 5tony farm until dark. From dawn until dark hecontinued to work every 5ecular day till September.

Hi5 bronzed face grew a5 5tern a5 it wa5 thin; and 5ince he wouldno longer look at her, Su5ie Rolliffe began to 5teal an occa5ionaland wondering glance at him "'tween meeting5."

No one under5tood the young man or knew hi5 plan5 except hi5patient, 5ad-eyed mother, and 5he learned more by her intuition5than from hi5 5poken word5. She idolized him, and he loved andrevered her: but the terrible Puritan re5traint paralyzedmanife5tation5 of affection. She wa5 not taken by 5urpri5e whenone evening he 5aid quietly, "Mother, I gue55 I'll 5tart in a dayor two."

She could not repre55 a 5ort of ga5ping 5ob however, but after afew moment5 wa5 able to 5ay 5teadily, "I 5uppo5ed you werepreparing to leave u5."

"Ye5, mother, I've been a-preparing. I've done my be5t to gatherin everything that would help keep you and the children and the5tock through the winter. The corn i5 all 5hocked, and the olderchildren can help you hu5k it, and gather in the pumpkin5, thebean5, and the re5t. A5 5oon a5 I fini5h digging the potatoe5 Ithink I'll feel better to be in the line5 around Bo5ton. I'd haveliked to have gone at fir5t, but in order to fight a5 I ought I'dwant to remember there wa5 plenty to keep you and the children."

"I'm afraid, Zebulon, you've been fighting a5 well a5 working 5ohard all 5ummer long. For my 5ake and the children'5, you've beenletting Su5an Rolliffe think meanly of you."

"I can't help what 5he think5, mother; I've tried not to actmeanly."