The stair door opened, and Ben came down from his room, carrying a little hand-mirror in a carved wooden frame. He was a fine specimen of young manhood, tall, straight, and strong. His dark brown eyes showed intelligence and depth of feeling. Over his features--naturally good--was now cast the reflection of that victory which makes a man "greater than he that taketh a city." He advanced with an air of cheerfulness. "Lura Ann, I did not forget that this is your birthday. I carved this frame for you myself, and I wish you----" "Ben!" cried his grandmother. "Lura Ann has bought off the mortgage!" "And I'm going to light the fire with it," cried Lura Ann a little tremulously, and springing up. But Ben came and took it from her quickly. He did not comprehend the legal phrases as Sackford had done, but he gathered the sense. His fine eyes began to brighten and glow as they rested on his cousin's face, now averted and blushing. "Lura Ann, let me see your wedding-gown," exclaimed Nancy, coming in; and Lura Ann grew rose red, but she made a violent effort to free herself from this wretched mistake. "I haven't got any--I'm not going to have any!" she cried hysterically, turning to strike a match to the fire. "What do I want of a wedding-gown when I'm not going to be married?" "But Sackford Moss said----" began Nancy, with staring eyes. "Bother Sackford Moss!" said Lura Ann, pettishly, trembling with nervousness under Ben's grave eyes. "He said he was going to take you away from us!" finished the persistent child. "Well, he isn't!" said Lura Ann emphatically. Then she would have liked to flee to her room, but Ben was still standing before her. "Nancy," he said, in singularly happy tones, "go, get in the young chickens, quick. Don't you see how fast the rain is coming?" And Nancy, who always obeyed her brother, went. Then Ben, conscious of the whole evening before him, let Lura Ann get supper and clear it away, before supplementing by a single word the tender, hopeful look in his eyes. But an hour later, when the shower had passed, they stood together on the stoop, which was covered with fallen apple blossoms. The clouds were gone and the sky was clear blue, except for a trail of gold in the west. The fields lay green and wet. They looked at sky and fields, and at last into each other's eyes, and there their gaze rested. "How sweet the air is after the rain," said the old woman. "It is the apple blossoms," said Ben, from the stoop; and gathering up a handful he let them fall in a shower over Lura Ann's head. THE END. FOOTNOTES: [1] Copyright, 1897 and 1898, by S. H. Moore & Co. [2] Copyright, 1900, by the F. M. Lupton Publishing Co. [3] Copyright, 1893, by Romance Publishing Co. [4] Copyright, 1899, by "The Housewife." [5] Copyright, 1899, by S. H. Moore & Co. [6] Copyright, 1896, by "The Independent." [7] Copyright, 1896, by "The Independent." [8] Copyright, 1896, by "The Independent."