He was almost to her, his face alight with his happiness. "Joe!" she whispered again, and gave a startled glance of astonishment as this huge fellow with dancing eyes stood upon one leg, balanced himself with his cane and thrust forth an encircling arm. Rooted to the spot, she could not evade it as it drew her to him and, with fascinated eyes and curious thrills, she watched his head bend slowly towards her. "Joe"--this time it was the voice of his mother speaking--"Where did you meet Virginia?" His head went up and his arm dropped at his side. Virginia released his arms which she had clutched and, with reddened, telltale faces, they turned to Mrs. Curtis. "We met in South Ridgefield, mother," he told her, and the girl gave an embarrassed nod of agreement. "Hum," said Mrs. Curtis. The utterance meant little but her manner much. She disappeared only to return in a moment with a plate of doughnuts and a pitcher of milk. "Who is hungry?" she asked. Among the young people, famine stalked abroad. In its relief, flushed faces regained their normal color and Helen's mischievous giggles were quieted sufficiently for her to meet Joe with becoming gravity before giving her attention to her own sweetheart. But alas, the course of true love is never smooth. Charles Augustus made energetic protest when he became aware that Helen proposed to offer him nourishment by hand after the manner in which infants but recently weaned are treated. "Lemme be! My hands aren't lame," he objected. An unhappy look spread over his face. "I get so tired sitting in this old chair. Every little while, too, mother rubs my leg and works it up and down. Ding bust it, that hurts." Helen, giving up her attempt to feed the boy, endeavored to sooth and comfort him. "In a week or so you will be running about without a sign of a crutch. Think of that. Won't that be fine?" "I should be out now," he grumbled. "Something might happen to my hornet's nest." "Don't you worry," Helen laughed. "Neither man nor beast will interfere with that." "How is Miss Knight?" Virginia asked Joe. "Bossy as ever," he answered. "She was a good nurse and she was nice to you, Joe." "Yes," he admitted with a chuckle; "but she is a whole lot nicer to Mike Kelly these days." Virginia was all interest. "He's as pleased with her as a snow bird at a blizzard. Every time it was Miss Knight's evening off, he would make an early call upon me dressed in his best clothes." There came a knock at the front door. Hastening to it at a nod from Mrs. Curtis, Helen threw it wide open. Aunt Kate and Obadiah waited without. "Daddy," cried Virginia, for the moment blissfully forgetful as she tried to get around Joe without hurting his outstretched leg. "Obadiah Dale!" It was Mrs. Curtis who spoke from the doorway into the dining room and there was something in her voice which held them all. The happiness had gone from her face, leaving it cold and distorted with passion as Virginia had seen it.