Flora wore a bright blue cambric dress and a brown straw hat. Her figure was stout and high-shouldered, her dull-complexioned face full of placid force. She was not very young, and she looked much older than she was; and people had wondered how George Freeman, who was handsome and much courted by the girls, as well as younger than she, had come to marry her. They also wondered how her mother, who had been so bitterly opposed to the match, had given in, and was now living so amicably with the young couple; they had been on the alert for a furious village feud. But when Flora and her husband had returned from their stolen wedding tour, Mrs. Maxwell had met them at the depot and bidden them home with her with vociferous ardor, and the next Sunday Flora had gone to church in the new silk. There had been a conflict of two wills, and one had covered its defeat with a parade of victory. Mrs. Maxwell had talked a great deal about her daughter's marriage and how well she had done. "There's a thunder-shower coming up," Flora said after a little. "Where's your aunt?" "Gone berrying." "She'll get caught in the shower if she don't look out. What makes you work so steady this hot day, Lois?" "I've got to get this done." "There isn't any need of your working so hard." Lois said nothing. "If your aunt ain't willing to do for you it's time you had somebody else to," persisted Flora. "I wish I had had the money on your account. I wouldn't have let you work so. You look better than you did when you came here, but you look tired. I heard somebody else say so the other day." Flora said the last with a meaning smile. Lois blushed. "Yes, I did," Flora repeated. "I don't suppose you can guess who 'twas?" Lois said nothing; she bent her hot face closer over her work. "See here, Lois," said Flora. She hesitated with her eyes fixed warily on Lois; then she went on: "What makes you treat Francis so queer lately?" "I didn't know I had," replied Lois, evasively. "You don't treat him a bit the way you did at first." "I don't know what you mean, Flora." "Well, if you don't, it's no matter," returned Flora. "Francis hasn't said anything about it to me; you needn't think he has. All is, you'll never find a better fellow than he is, Lois Field, I don't care where you go." Flora spoke with slow warmth. Lois's face quivered. "If you don't take care you'll never get married at all," said Flora, half laughing. Lois sat up straight. "I shall never get married to anybody," said she. "That's one thing I won't do. I'll die first." Flora stared at her. "Why, why not?" said she. "I won't." "I never knew what happiness was until I got married," said Flora. Then she flushed up suddenly all over her steady face. Lois, too, started and blushed, as if the other girl's speech had struck some answering chord in her. The two were silent a moment. Lois sewed; Flora stared off through the trees at the darkening sky. The low rumble of thunder was incessant.