"Harry!" said I, "is that you?" They started, and I suppose poor
Harriet was horribly frightened; but I tried to speak naturally, and
as if the two being there together were quite a matter of course.

"I wonder if it will be too much for me to ask of you," said I,
when Harry had responded quite boldly with a "Good-evening, Aunt
Sophia"--he used to call me Aunt when he was a child, and still kept
it up--"I wonder if it will be too much to ask if you two will just
step in here a minute while I run down to Mrs. Jones'? I want to get
a pattern to use the first thing in the morning. Louisa has gone to
meeting, and I don't like to leave Alice alone."

They said they would be glad to come in, though, of course, with not
as much joy as they felt later, when they saw that I meant to leave
them to themselves for a time.

I stayed at Mrs. Jones' until I knew that Louisa would be home if I
waited any longer, and I thought, besides, that the young people had
been alone long enough. Then I went home. I suppose that they were
sorry to see me so soon, but they looked up at me very gratefully
when I bade them good-night and thanked them. I said quite meaningly
that it was a cold night and there would be a frost, and Harriet
must be careful and not take cold. I thought that would be enough
for Harry Liscom, unless being in love had altered him and made him
selfish. I did not think he would keep his sweetheart out, even if it
were his last chance of seeing her alone for so long, if he thought
she would get any harm by it, especially after he had visited her for
a reasonable length of time.