"What is the matter?" John demanded, in slow irritation, his eyes on Tilly, directly opposite with a young farmer whom he had once seen at the Whaleys'. "Why, you are as funny as they all say you are," Jennie tittered. "I heard you were rough and outspoken, but I didn't think you'd admit that you never heard of _me_ before. Why, sir, I'll have you know that I'm somebody, _I am_. You may bet your boots. I got the first prize for butter at the fair last fall and my father got two blue ribbons on a white pig--one on its neck and the other on its stumpy tail." John wondered if she was making sport of him, but soon decided that there was no malice in the twinkling blue eyes. "There goes Joel Eperson," she said, laying her small hand on John's arm. "He is not in the game. Watch Tilly-- What did I tell you? I knew she would steal him. My, my! that couple are a wonder!" John saw Tilly leaving her partner and crossing the grass to Eperson. "Come play," he heard her saying. "You've worked long enough for one evening." John saw Tilly and Joel find a place opposite him. How his new hopes drooped at the sheer sight of them! "You are living in her house; I guess you know about them," ran on John's companion. "Know about them--know _what_ about them?" he demanded, all but fiercely. "Huh!" ejaculated the girl. "Have you been so busy with your bricks and mortar that you haven't heard that they have been sweethearts since they were tiny tots? Why, even my mother and father always inquire, when I get home from a party, whether Joel and Tilly got together? You see, few folks sympathize with her hard-shell old daddy, and everybody loves Joel--everybody, man, woman, and child. And I know why. It is because he is so fine, noble, and constant. Some think--some few--that Tilly will give in to her father and drop Joel, but take it from me--and I'm a girl--she won't. She loves him--down deep she loves him, for no girl could help it. She wouldn't be a true woman if she went back on adoration like that. He is not handsome, but there is something in him too sweet and good to talk about. Once we all were arguing at Sunday-school whether anybody could actually forgive an enemy, and nearly all of us agreed that we couldn't but that Joel Eperson could. Wasn't that funny? When I talk to him I feel restful. If I was about to do a bad thing and he spoke to me, I'd throw it up. He did once, but never mind about that. It is too long to tell you now. But I'll always--always love him for what he did and said right while I was wavering." John now saw that Joel had given Tilly his arm and was leading her across the grass to a rustic seat under an oak-tree. The circle of forms and faces became blurred to John's sight. There was much laughter, much darting to and fro across the ring, but John heard only the voice of the little analyst at his elbow.