"I'm going to make some day a near day," he said persistently. "Mr. Holloway, I'm going hunting Tuesday. I've a good deal of game about my woods. Come out Wednesday; I'll see you have some for dinner." The professor reluctantly pleaded his engagements. "It's moonlight; you don't mind driving home at night?" "Oh, the road is familiar enough," assented the professor. "Mrs. Randall will come." "We'll drive by for her." "I asked her to-day after church; she said any time this week. I shall look for you in the afternoon, as early as you can make it." So it was they arranged. Edward watched the peaks apprehensively; but the fine weather held. His hunting was successful. There were a score of partridges and a brace of rabbits in the big basement kitchen and he was cautioning his cook fussily, when he heard the roll of wheels. "I 'clar' I's glad dey's come!" muttered the cook, as at last she was free to go about her work. Edward had been nervously anxious all day. The bare house was swept and scrubbed to the last point of cleanliness. He hesitated long over the propriety of entertaining them in "the chamber," over across the hall from the parlor, but it was the only furnished room of the house except the basement dining room. He got all of his belongings out of sight and locked the closet door on the disorder. He wondered if he should leave his pipe upon the mantelpiece and at the last moment forgot it. He wondered, while he raged, why the curtains looked so awry and if the rug were the color he should have chosen. But the walls were white with whitewash, the hearth was newly reddened, and on the andirons in the huge fireplace a fire roared hot enough for Christmas; in the kitchen below was a scared cook who knew she would hear some hot language did anything go wrong in her domains. Edward was as glad as she was to hear the wheels. He hurried out on the porch and down the long flight of steps. He had hoped to help Frances from the trap and say some pretty words of greeting, but she had already sprung out and met him at the steps. The professor was assisting Mrs. Randall. "Father says you are going to take us all over the place," called Frances at once. "Let's go now; Mrs. Randall wants to, also!" "Of course!" chimed that pleased matron; "we want to see all the establishment. When we come back, I'm going down in the kitchen." "I wish you would," pleaded the host fervently. Mrs. Randall, who had no children of her own, had a mother's heart for all: she had been longing to get out to this bachelor's establishment ever since it was set up, but the doctor was always too busy. She was going to make the best of the opportunity, and if this "boy" had any need her bright eyes could see, she was resolved to help him fill it. "Go get your hat, Edward; we'll all come in afterwards." And the young man ran back up the steps, all his pretty speeches unsaid.