“According to law,” responded Tavia, solemnly. “And worse. Read on.” Breathlessly, Dorothy Dale consumed the remainder of the letter. Some of it she murmured aloud: “‘The kid is a wonder. You’d ought to see her. Two weeks old to-day and I bet she could sit a bucking pony. You’re elected godmother, Miss Tavia, because she is going to be called ‘Octavia Susan Petterby,’ believe me!” “Oh, Tavia!” finished Dorothy, crumpling the letter in her hand. “And you never told us a word about it. _That’s_ why you wanted to buy a silver mug!” “Yes,” Tavia admitted. “And they have been married how long?” “Almost a year. Soon after we came away from Hardin.” “And you never said a word,” Dorothy said accusingly. “We all supposed——” “That I was flirting with poor old Lance. Yes,” said Tavia, her eyes and voice both hard. “And why shouldn’t we think so?” asked Dorothy, quietly. “You do so many queer things. Or you _used_ to.” “I don’t now,” said her friend, bruskly. “No. But how were we to know? How was Nat to know?” she added. Then Tavia turned on her with excitement. “You promised not to tell!” she said. “Don’t you _dare_ let Nat White know about this letter!” CHAPTER XX A GIRL OF TO-DAY “It was the prettiest wedding I ever saw,” Dorothy Dale declared, as the party, bound for North Birchland again, climbed aboard the midnight train at the station nearest Sunnyside Farm. “And the bride was too sweet for anything,” added Jennie Hapgood, who was returning to The Cedars as agreed, to remain until after New Year’s. “Jack looked quite as they always do,” said Ned in a hollow voice. “As who always do?” demanded Tavia. “The brooms.” “‘Brooms’!” cried Dorothy. “Grooms, Ned?” “He’s a ‘new broom’ all right,” chuckled Edward White. “Poor chap! he doesn’t know what it means to love, honor, obey, and buy frocks and hats for a girl of to-day.” “Pah!” retorted his brother, “you’d like to be in his shoes, Nedward.” “Me? I—guess—not!” declared Edward. “I have my own shoes to stand in, thank you,” and Ned looked at Jennie Hapgood with a meaning air. So the party came back to The Cedars in much the same state as it had gone to the wedding. Ned and Jennie were so much taken up with each other that they were frankly oblivious to the mutual attitude of Nat and Tavia. Dorothy Dale was kept busy warding off happenings that might attract the particular attention of Major Dale and Aunt Winnie to the real situation between the two. Besides, Dorothy had “troubles of her own,” as the saying goes. She felt that she must decide, and neglect the decision no longer, a very, very important matter that concerned herself more than it did anybody else in the world—a matter that she was selfishly interested in.