The suppleness of her carriage, intensified by the simplicity of her soft, faultless dress, was a poem of delight which needed no skill of adornment to beautify; no touch of art to dignify. Across the room she stole, as lightly as though her feet were winged, and listened at the door. "I am sure I heard his voice!" Then with a smile of joy, she tripped to the open window overlooking the piazza, and looked out, murmuring--"how I long to see him. My Joe! Handsome, manly Joe, I adore you. And these, his flowers--his favorite flower, our beautiful rose," drawing from her hair two red roses, which she kissed again and again. "I hurried home because I could not remain away from you, and now--oh, the joy of a glad surprise--I hear footsteps!" and she listened expectantly, then turned to behold Mrs. Harris, an elderly lady of portly bearing and elegantly dressed, who was at that moment entering from the piazza. "Why, Virginia, I am delighted. You look the happiest girl in the land," taking her hand and kissing her. "Oregon peach-bloom on your cheeks, too; I'll wager you are just in from the farm, you hayseed." "Yes, and I've had the most delightful time," replied the girl softly. "Romped over the fields of sweet-smelling clover, and through the orchards, and helped in the hay-field, too," she laughed joyously. "Hands up! I mean the palms," said Mrs. Harris, in mock severity. "It must have been a silver rake you handled in the hay-field," she resumed, after scrutinizing the palms of Virginia's outstretched hands, "for there isn't even a callous." "It is harvest time," replied the girl, laughing, "and the harvest moon is death to callouses, you know." "We've missed you, dear, at Seaside," said Mrs. Harris. "But still you look just as charming as though you had been there the entire season." "You rude flatterer. The seaside is nice, but I love our dear old farm home in the valley, best. Yet"--Virginia continued, demurely, with downcast eyes, "it seemed a little dull this year, and, you see, I have a reason for coming in before the harvest is over." As the girl stood with downcast eyes, her countenance appeared exquisitely regular, dignified and very beautiful. "Ah, dear!" exclaimed Mrs. Harris, with admiration. "An affair of the heart--a man in it, eh, dear?--I know him. He will be here in a few moments--lucky fellow!" "Will he?--are you sure?" "Dear me! How joyful you are!" said Mrs. Harris, staring kindly at her. "Oh, if you had been away from your sweetheart for so long a time as I have been from mine"-- "Ha! ha! ha! ha!" laughed Mrs. Harris. "Why, Virginia dear, only two weeks! Really you carry me back to my own girlish days, just after I met James--I remember well--my heart nearly fluttered out of its place." "My heart fluttered out of its place weeks and weeks ago, and will not flutter back, unless"-- "Unless what, dear?" "Unless he despises it," she said, with a sigh.