“Not a bit of it,” was the reply. “He’s got along all these years without you and I reckon he’ll be able to stand it awhile longer. Where is he, anyhow, and where is Pike?” He looked around the room from which both of the men were missing. It was not very many minutes before Cyrus reentered, but he seemed nervous and in no good humor. His schemes had gone awry and he was not happy. Especially was this true after a conversation he had had outside with Pike, for Pike was in his ugliest mood and Cyrus did not enjoy a contemplation of what might result from the day’s doings. But now Hannah Maria and some of the older women were busying themselves in offering the refreshments which Louisa had carefully prepared; great pans of biscuits, boiled hams, sweet cakes and such dainties as her father would allow her to provide. “It’s your last fling,” he had said ungraciously. “I reckon I’ll hev to let ye cook up somethin’ to keep folks from talkin’, though I don’t much care what they do say.” And so Louisa had done her best. The majority of the company was in high spirits; even those who had failed to secure such an admirable helpmeet as Louisa were pleased that Ira should have been the successful rival, for he was a great favorite and every one had a good word to say of him. “I swow,” said Matt Cochran, “I’d rather see Iry git her than anybody as long as I didn’t git her myself.” “Iry’s a good feller; he desarves his luck,” piped up old Billy Jones. “I had my eye on the gal, but Sally, my darter, told me I’d better be keerful of a red-headed woman.” “I wasn’t thinkin’ of her head,” said Lew Phelps. “I was thinkin’ what a powerful handy cook I’d git. I ain’t never struck more wholesome wittles than what these air,” he added, his mouth full of biscuits and ham. And so the talk went on till night suddenly fell and the company broke up. Lanterns bobbed about the lot where men were untying their horses, hoisting damsels to their places on tough little mustangs, assisting stout dames to their seats in the family conveyance, or adjusting some young woman to her saddle in front of the cavalier with whom she had come. The shrill laughter of girls, the unrestrained guffaws of the men, the sleepy wail of some little child, the stamping horses, the creaking of wheels, all combined to show how large and popular an entertainment this had proven to be.