Jeff could stand it no longer. He ran down the steps and with long strides arrived in time to assist the supposedly helpless maiden. "I want to help you," he said shortly. "That's very kind, but really the things are not heavy," and Judith began busily picking out the articles from the back of her car and putting them in a basket. But Jeff had come to help, and help he would. He assumed a cousinly air that put Tom Harbison's courtliness entirely in the shade. If any protecting was to be done he, Jeff Bucknor, was going to do it. He was the proper person to carry the basket of toilet articles as heir apparent to Buck Hill and an avowed kinsman of the lady. He even managed to crowd Harbison from the walk as, with basket in one hand, he protected the astonished Judith with the other. When the back-door customers were visited, the young master insisted upon accompanying Judith, and there he stood guard while she talked concerning the virtues of her anti-kink lotion and scented soaps. She wished he would leave her for a moment, as she had a little private business to transact with Uncle Billy, but he stuck closer than any brother was ever known to stick and she must let him see her hand to the old man a package, saying: "Please, Uncle Billy, give this to Miss Ann Peyton and tell her it is from a sincere admirer. It is just a bottle of lavender water, but I thought she might like it." Uncle Billy bowed so low that his beard almost touched the ground. "Thank you, thank you, missy! I been a sayin' that you air the onlies' one in the whole county what kin hol a can'le to what my Miss Ann wa' in ol' days--an' air now fer that matter." CHAPTER XI A Surprise for Cinderella The Ryeville Courier reported that the county was "agog" over the ball to be given by the veterans of the Rye House porch. Invitations were delivered with the same expedition that they had been printed and by nightfall of the day the scheme was hatched everybody who was anybody, and a great many who made no pretense of being, had received a notice that he or she was expected to come to the skating rink on Friday night to a debut party. "We'll show 'em," boasted Judge Middleton, who with Colonel Crutcher had driven about town in his buggy, delivering invitations. "First, we'll stop at the Buck place and ask Judith. We can't have a party without our Cinderella." Judith had returned from her peddling trip, and was busily engaged in preparing the motormen's supper, when her old admirers arrived. "Hi, Miss Judy!" they called from the buggy. "Hi, yourself!" she cried, appearing around the side of the house with floury hands and flushed face. "We're gonter give a ball and we want to ask you to come to it," said the Colonel. "It is to be this Friday night coming." "Oh, I wish I could, but you know I never leave my mother at night. You see, she is all alone."