"You didn’t!" Jane looked incredulous. "Pardon me, I did. This time I did not bolt across the street; indeed, I stopped to consider whether I should not shout, ’Hi, hi, there, you ’ve dropped your purse, lady!’ like a street gamin. But reflecting on the embarrassment this might cause me at some future date, when she and I should really meet, I picked my way across again, seized the pocketbook, and was about to pursue her, when she looked round and caught me in the act of scrutinizing it, as one naturally does upon picking up a gold-mounted, aristocratic affair like that, the like of which he expects never----" "Oh, go on!" Rufus could no longer endure his brother’s tantalising eloquence. "I hastened to her side," continued Peter, who was gifted in the art of putting things elaborately when he chose, "and remarked, ’I believe this is yours?’ She--now what, friends, would you naturally expect a girl to do on receiving the third favour from a stranger within fifteen minutes?" "What did you expect? Did you suppose she would fly into your----" "Did you want her to open the pocketbook and hand you a quarter, saying, ’Here, my honest lad----’" "Think she ’d say, ’You must call and see father. He will give you a position in his----’" "Your suggestions are far-fetched and improbable. I expected none of these things to happen. But consider the situation. Here was I, crossing the street for the third time in the mud----" "Go on!" "Would n’t you have thought, considering the absurdity of the affair--her strewing things along the street like that--the least she could have done would have been to----" "Smile!" supplied Jane. "_Did n’t_ she, Peter?" "She did not," avowed Peter. "She just looked at me as if she thought I had been about to steal her purse, took it, and went on, this time without saying thank you!" "Good gracious!" This from Ross. "She must be a nice girl to know. And you look pretty well, too, Pete, in that blue suit." "Where does she live?" Nancy inquired, her round face sympathetic with Peter’s mock humiliation. "In the big house across the street. If you get out of milk or eggs, Janey, don’t hesitate to run across and borrow some," counselled Peter. "Now if you ’ll just make use of us all this evening," proposed Mr. Bell, rising, "we can accomplish a good deal--eh, boys? Shall I open the boxes and barrels, Martha?" At this suggestion three more pairs of strong arms were put at Mrs. Bell’s service. She set every one at work at once. "Yes, Joe, dear," she agreed, "if you will open the boxes, I ’ll take out the things and put them in place as far as I can. That’s right, Nancy, you help Jane with the dishes, and when they are done you can go up stairs and make up the beds. Ross and Peter----"