"And I am so fond of supper!" Flossy said. "It was very unkind of you to keep me here." "But I am so fond of you," he retorted, "that it was very good of you to stay." "I've a great mind to eat you," she said. "Do. I know I shall like it, and I'm sure I'd taste better than pop-corn." "But I haven't promised any thing," Flossy said, speaking, as usual, quite independently of the subject in hand. "We're not engaged until you've seen father." An hour or two later, when Burleigh was preparing to retire, his silver lucky-penny dropped to the floor. "Ah, ha!" he cried, tossing it into the air. "You were wrong, after all, old fellow, unless you wanted to bully me into proposing; and, by George! I think that's the only way I got pluck for it." And the great honest fellow took himself to bed, and lay awake thinking of Flossy with a simple humility that was very touching. A glow of love and happiness enveloped him like a rosy cloud; and when at last he fell asleep it was to dreams as passionately pure as had been his waking thoughts, and, like them, centring about the little maiden who had that night promised to become his wife. Before the guests at Mrs. Toxteth's unmasked, Will encountered Putnam, and endeavored to discover his identity. "You are evidently dumb," he said at last, after having vainly tried to make Tom speak. "'Tis a virtue more to be commended in the other sex." "By great Cæsar's immortal ghost!" exclaimed the undisguised tones of Clarence Toxteth at his elbow, "that must be Will Sanford's voice. Where is Patty? Didn't she come?" "She came, but I don't know where she is." "I've hunted the whole evening for her, and have had supper put off on purpose to find her before we unmasked. I followed Emily Purdy a while, but I knew her voice the minute she spoke." The lawyer shrugged his shoulders, but still remained silent. "For my part," Sanford said, "I shouldn't tell her dress if I knew it; but as it happens I don't. She was covered from head to foot in a waterproof when we came." Putnam turned away with a feeling of relief. He began to hope that Patty's wild freak might pass unknown, and searched through the rooms, meaning to make a last appeal to her to leave before the masks were removed. His search was of course unsuccessful, but he encountered Emily Purdy. "How clever Patty Sanford was in deceiving us!" he said as soon as he was sure she knew him. "We might have known she only took that man's dress as a blind. Have you seen her to-night? I think her costume the handsomest here." "No, I haven't seen her," Emily answered. "How is she dressed?" "You'll see when we unmask," Tom answered; adding, with quiet sarcasm, "It wouldn't be quite fair to tell before." XXXV. PETER MIXON. Finding a man flung apparently lifeless at her feet, Patty applied herself in the most matter-of-fact way to the discovery whether he were dead or alive.