pink-and-white girl those eyes had been very romantic. Now they
were so out of keeping with the rest of her appearance as to be
ludicrous.

Mrs. Eben, sitting at the other end of the small tea-table that
was drawn up against the window, was a thin little woman, with a
very sharp nose and light, faded blue eyes. She looked like a
woman whose opinions were always very decided and warranted to
wear.

"How does Sara like teaching at Newbridge?" asked Mrs. Jonas,
helping herself a second time to Mrs. Eben's matchless black
fruit cake, and thereby bestowing a subtle compliment which Mrs.
Eben did not fail to appreciate.

"Well, I guess she likes it pretty well--better than down at
White Sands, anyway," answered Mrs. Eben. "Yes, I may say it
suits her. Of course it's a long walk there and back. I think
it would have been wiser for her to keep on boarding at
Morrison's, as she did all winter, but Sara is bound to be home
all she can. And I must say the walk seems to agree with her."

"I was down to see Jonas' aunt at Newbridge last night," said
Mrs. Jonas, "and she said she'd heard that Sara had made up her
mind to take Lige Baxter at last, and that they were to be
married in the fall. She asked me if it was true. I said I
didn't know, but I hoped to mercy it was. Now, is it, Louisa?"

"Not a word of it," said Mrs. Eben sorrowfully. "Sara hasn't any
more notion of taking Lige than ever she had. I'm sure it's not