“'Courtship--How to Make Love--How to Win the Affections--How to Hold Them When Won.'” said Eliph', turning to the proper page. “And the words I read were these: 'The lover should not be utterly cast down if he be refused upon first appealing for the dear one's hand. A first refusal often means little or nothing. A lady frequently uses this means to test the reality of the passion the lover has professed, and in such a case a refusal is often a most hopeful sign. Unless the refusal has been accompanied by very evident signs of dislike, the lover should try again. If at the third trial the fair one still denies his suit, he had better seek elsewhere for happiness, but until the third test he should not be discouraged. The first refusal may be but the proof of a finer mind than common in the lady.'” Eliph' removed his spectacles and laid them carefully in the pages of the book which he closed and placed gently on the center-table. “Having read that,” he said, “I saw that I had done this work a wrong. I had read it hastily and had missed the most important words. I felt the joy of life returning to me. I remembered that you were a lady of finer mind than common, and I understood why you had refused me. I resolved to stay in Kilo and justify Jarby's Encyclopedia of Knowledge and Compendium of Literature, Science and Art by giving it another trial. And now,” he said, placing his hand on the book where it lay on the table and leaning forward to gaze more closely into Miss Sally's face, while she faced him with a quickened pulse, and a blush, “now, I want to ask you again, WILL you put your name down for a copy of this work----” He stopped appalled at what he had said, and stared at Miss Sally for one moment foolishly, while over her face spread not a frown of anger or contempt, but a pleasant smile of friendly amusement. “Not the book,” he said, “but me.” Miss Sally looked at the eager eyes that were not only serious, but sincere and kind. “Well, Mister Hewlitt,” she said, “I guess I'll have to marry someone some time so I might as well marry you as anybody. But I don't think pa will ever give consent to havin' a book agent in the family. He hates book agents worse than I used to.” “You don't any more,” said Eliph', putting his hand very far across the table. “Well, no, I don't,” said Miss Sally graciously, “not all of 'em.” CHAPTER XIX. Pap Briggs' Hen Food