"Thank you, Dian," she said softly, as the girl hurried into the house to complete her own preparations. It was in the early afternoon of that day, when a double team--the wagon fitted with bows, but the cover folded in the bottom of the wagon box--drew up to the Winthrop house with great dash and clatter. Four good spring seats rattled emptily as the driver threw on his brake and gave a loud "Hello" to the people inside. The front door opened and Bishop Winthrop came out. "Dian will be ready in a moment, John. I am glad she is going with you, for I know you'll take good care of her." "Just as good as she'll let me," the young man smiled down at his friend. "Oh, Dianthy's all right, only she's a little high-spirited. Give her plenty of time, John; you can afford to wait," said the elder man, in confidential tones. At that moment Diantha herself came out with her two nieces, and looking at the empty seats, she asked, "Where's Ellen Tyler going to ride? I'll sit with her." "All right," answered the young man calmly "Only you'll have to sit three in a seat, as Charlie Rose put that middle seat in for himself and Ellen." John sat patiently waiting for the girl to make up her mind, and not offering to assist her in. Perhaps his horses were fractious. At any rate, he sat watching them, now and then flicking a fly from them, apparently indifferent as to the result of the girl's decision. "I suppose I shall have to ride in front, then," Dian murmured, and began climbing over the wheel, "although I like to be invited to sit by young men." "You may sit on the back seat if you want to, and let either Aunt Clara or Tom Allen or either of the two little girls, Lucy or Josephine, sit here," said John, as he smiled down into her averted face, his gray eyes flashing with suppressed amusement. "No, thank you. I've had trouble enough to get where I am, without any help; I don't care to climb any more. Get in, girls," she added. "Where are you going now, John?" asked Diantha, as they drove off at last. "For the rest of the folks," and away they clattered and rattled, the horses requiring careful handling, they were so full of eager life. John drove rapidly to the home of Aunt Clara Tyler, where he was to find the others of his party. A moment's wait, and then Ellen Tyler came out, followed by the others. Her brown curls fell from under the white sunbonnet which surrounded her face like a ruffled halo. The delicate cream of her skin but made the glowing brown eyes and the scarlet lips the lovelier by contrast. Her pretty teeth gleamed through the curved line of parted lips as she bounded smilingly down the flower-bordered path. She had a great bunch of spice pinks and blue bachelor buttons in her hand, and as she reached the wagon she threw the blue blossoms into Dian's lap, saying gleefully, "These belong to you, Dian."