"Romance is a nice thing in its place. I 've had my own romances--four on 'em,--'n' not many women can say that 'n' still be unmarried, I guess. I 've lived 'n' I 've loved, as the books say; 'n' I 've survived, as I say myself; 'n' you can believe me or not, jus' as you please, Mrs. Lathrop, but I ain't got no feelin' toward you this night but pity. I would n't be you if I could--not now 'n' not never. I 'd really liefer be the deacon, 'n' Heaven knows 't he 's got little enough to look forward to hereafter." "I--" expostulated Mrs. Lathrop. "Well, Mrs. Lathrop, if you keep me here much longer, I sha'n't get down-town this afternoon; 'n' when you think how near Mrs. Jilkins 's comin' to bein' related to you, it certainly will look very strange to the community." As she spoke, Miss Clegg rapidly prepared herself for the street, and with the last words she went toward the door. "If the deacon gets here afore I come back," she said, pausing with her hand on the knob, "you 'd better say 's what he told me yesterday in confidence 'n' what I told him in consequence is still a secret; it 'll be pleasanter for you both so." "I--" said Mrs, Lathrop. "Good-by," said Susan. Mrs. Lathrop slept some that afternoon and rocked more. She experienced no very marked flutterings in the region of her heart; indeed, she was astonished herself at the calmness of her sensations. The deacon had not come when Susan returned. Susan looked somewhat puzzled. "Anybody been here since me?" she inquired, not facing her friend, but examining the stovepipe with interest. "No; no--" "Mrs. Jilkins is all safe," she said next. "I'm so--" "That automobile run 'way past Cherry Pond, 'n' their hired man see her ridin' by 'n' made after her on a mule. The gasolene give out before the mule did, so he hauled her home, 'n' the man in the cap come 'n' took the automobile back to town." "So it's all--" "They all landed over at the drug-store 'n' got in 'n' started out fresh. Mr. Jilkins settled for the five hundred, 'n' they went off feelin' real friendly. They run out across the square, an' then--" Susan hesitated. "You got a shock yesterday," she said, still not looking at her friend, but speaking sympathetically, "'n' it seems too bad to give you another to-day; but you 'll have to know--" "Heaven pro--" cried Mrs. Lathrop. "They run over the deacon comin' out o' the station. They did n't see him, an' he did n't see them. He ain't dead." Mrs. Lathrop was silent. "Mrs. Allen took him home. Of course that means Polly 'll get him in the end." Mrs. Lathrop was silent for a long time. Finally she said very deliberately: "Maybe it's just as--" "It's better," said her friend, with decision; "for the man settled with the deacon for fifteen hundred." * * * * * OLD MAN ELY'S PROPOSAL