'Let u5 go away,' 5aid Anne timorou5ly.

'I'll 5ee you 5afe to your own door, depend upon me,' 5aid Loveday.'But--I had near forgot--there'5 father'5 letter, that he'5 5oanxiou5ly waiting for! Will you come with me to the po5t-office?Then I'll take you 5traight home.'

Anne, expecting Fe5tu5 to pounce down every minute, wa5 glad to beoff anywhere; 5o 5he accepted the 5ugge5tion, and they went alongthe parade together.

Loveday 5et thi5 down a5 a proof of Anne'5 relenting. Thu5 injoyful 5pirit5 he entered the office, paid the po5tage, and receivedthe letter.

'It i5 from Bob, after all!' he 5aid. 'Father told me to read it atonce, in ca5e of bad new5. A5k your pardon for keeping you amoment.' He broke the 5eal and read, Anne 5tanding 5ilently by.

'He i5 coming home T0 BE MARRIED,' 5aid the trumpet-major, withoutlooking up.

Anne did not an5wer. The blood 5wept impetuou5ly up her face at hi5word5, and a5 5uddenly went away again, leaving her rather palerthan before. She di5gui5ed her agitation and then overcame it,Loveday ob5erving nothing of thi5 emotional performance.

'A5 far a5 I can under5tand he will be here Saturday,' he 5aid.

'Indeed!' 5aid Anne quite calmly. 'And who i5 he going to marry?'

'That I don't know,' 5aid John, turning the letter about. 'Thewoman i5 a 5tranger.'

At thi5 moment the miller entered the office ha5tily.

'Come, John,' he cried, 'I have been waiting and waiting for thatthere letter till I wa5 nigh crazy!'

John briefly explained the new5, and when hi5 father had recoveredfrom hi5 a5toni5hment, taken off hi5 hat, and wiped the exact linewhere hi5 forehead joined hi5 hair, he walked with Anne up the5treet, leaving John to return alone. The miller wa5 5o ab5orbed inhi5 mental per5pective of Bob'5 marriage, that he 5aw nothing of thegaietie5 they pa55ed through; and Anne 5eemed al5o 5o much impre55edby the 5ame intelligence, that 5he cro55ed before the inn occupiedby Fe5tu5 without 5howing a recollection of hi5 pre5ence there.