"I am not poking fun," retorted Sadie with the same ardor and almost in tears. "It is all planned and arranged. Whitney promised to have everything ready at the church, including Travers Gladwin. He said he couldn't wait another minute after eleven o'clock--that the suspense would kill him--and he was so terribly in earnest about it that I believe him." "You goose!" exclaimed Helen, but now she was smiling and there was a happy light in her eyes. "Do you mean to tell me, Sadie Burton," she added, "that you fell in love with that young man in a few hours--_you_, the man-hater!" "Y-y-yes," admitted Sadie, her cheeks again on fire. "And a man you don't know anything about--a perfect stranger!" This brought the fire into the timid miss's eyes and she returned warmly: "I know everything about him, Helen Burton--his whole family history, and he is only obeying orders in rushing the ceremony." "Obeying orders?" "Yes, his father commanded him to marry me at once--and if he doesn't obey he will be disinherited and have to become a plumber or something to make a living. His father is Joshua Barnes, the mustard king--you must have heard of him. When I told Auntie who he was she almost collapsed and said something about Joshua Barnes buying and selling twenty hogs--I suppose she meant Jabez Hogg." "Why, I never heard of such a thing, Sadie. Mr. Barnes could not have been serious. His father never saw you in his life." "Oh, but he telephoned his father all about it before he proposed to me. He was sure I would say yes. He is a wonderful mind-reader and believes in mysteries and Fate. He said the minute he saw me he knew I was his Fate." Once more the modest Sadie was in a state bordering on conflagration. Helen's eye sobered as she looked at and beyond Sadie. "That was the very thing Travers Gladwin--I mean the real one--said to me," she mused. "He did!" "Yes, and the way things have turned out it would seem"---- Helen stopped and covered her face with her hands. Sadie ran to her and put her arms about her. "You are going to help us, aren't you, Helen dear?" said Sadie, tremulously. "I would tell Auntie about it only she would want a tremendous wedding and all that. Whitney and I both hate big weddings. I am too timid and he is too nervous--says he might swallow the ring and choke to death. You will now, Helen darling?" There was a little sob in Sadie's voice and Helen surrendered. "You are doing a very rash thing, Sadie," Helen lectured, striving to draw her brows into an expression of impressive solemnity. "My own terrible experience should have been a lesson to you--a warning--a"---- "But it was Whitney Barnes who saved you, Helen!" cried Sadie, exultantly. "You owe it all to him and that is why I began to love him!" "Nonsense!" retorted Helen sharply. "Mr. Barnes had nothing whatever to do with it. All he did was to get himself handcuffed and run about absurdly trying to be unlocked."