"Well, that's nothing to wonder about," said Eleanor. Anne glanced at the letter again: "No, but the contents is." "Maybe it's one of those proposals of marriage--you know; the kind where a lonely bachelor, rich, well-bred, perfect in every respect (except his bald head, glass eye, toothless gums, and palsy) wishes acquaintance with sweet young miss--object matrimony!" Eleanor said, jokingly. "Eleanor Maynard! How very unladylike of you!" cried her sister, shocked at her levity. "I'm only saying what you can read in the paper any day," argued Eleanor, still laughing at her joke. "This _is_ a proposal, but not that kind. It comes from a well-known gentleman in New York City," said Anne. Polly was so astonished that she pulled in the horses and suddenly halted them without being aware of it. Eleanor and she turned square about and gazed at Anne questioningly. Barbara couldn't say anything as she was at sea for words. "For goodness' sake!" exclaimed Eleanor, at last. "Wh-y--I wanted to live with you in Denver this winter!" complained Polly. Then remembering John and his evident preference for Anne, she added severely: "Does John know about this man?" Anne laughed gayly. "No, and that is the only thing that makes me feel unhappy. I'd accept at once, if New York wasn't so far away, or if I had never met John." Although Anne spoke in a jocular tone when mentioning John, she blushed most bewitchingly at her acknowledgment. Eleanor had been keenly studying Anne's face, and now she exclaimed: "Ha! you didn't tell us what _sort_ of a proposal! It may be a mason who wants to hire you to carry a hod up the ladders." As the very idea was so ridiculous, every one laughed, and that broke the tension. Then Anne admitted: "I felt like squaring myself with you, Nolla, for your hint that I was answering ads. in the _Matrimonial Mirror_." "Well, then, is it for a hod-carrier?" insisted the irrepressible Eleanor. "Almost as good; it is for a teacher to carry learning up into young ladies' brains at a fashionable seminary in New York." "What? never!" declared Barbara. "Of course--why not?" replied Anne. Eleanor and Polly were silent, but they thought a lot. But Barbara said: "Because you can never fill a position in a fashionable young ladies' school in New York. You know nothing of social life." "Bob, I'll have Polly dump you from the wagon if you can't be half-way decent to us. Ever since Polly and I discovered Old Man Montresor's gold mine, you've been as mean as a bear with a sore head. Now stop it, or I'll--I'll do something _awful_ to you!" Eleanor was angry! And she looked daggers at her sister as she spoke, but she knew there was nothing she could do but patiently allow Barbara to say unkind words to others, as was her habit. Polly now spoke. "Anne, is there anything that you'd _rather_ do than go East to teach school?"