"I came up this afternoon to ask a favour of you," he began.
"Won't you go for a walk with me? It's wrong to stay indoors on a
day like this."

"Wait till I get my hat," said Ruth, rising.

"Fifteen minutes is the limit," he called to her, as she went
upstairs.

She was back again almost immediately, and Hepsey watched them in
wide-mouthed astonishment as they went down hill together, for it
was not in her code of manners that "walking out" should begin so
soon. When they approached Miss Ainslie's he pointed out the
brown house across from it, on the other side of the hill.

"Yonder palatial mansion is my present lodging," he volunteered,
"and I am a helpless fly in the web of the 'Widder' Pendleton."

"Pendleton," repeated Ruth; "why, that's Joe's name."

"It is," returned Winfield, concisely. "He sits opposite me at
the table, and wonders at my use of a fork. It is considered
merely a spear for bread and meat at the 'Widder's.' I am
observed closely at all times, and in some respects Joe admires
me enough to attempt imitation, which, as you know, is the
highest form of flattery. For instance, this morning he wore not
only a collar and tie, but a scarf pin. It was a string tie, and
I've never before seen a pin worn in one, but it's interesting."