"I didn’t know who you meant."

"Why, you wouldn’t think o’ marryin’ her, would you?"

"No," said Joshua emphatically. "I’d as soon think o’ marryin’ you
yourself."

Lucinda deliberated for a minute or so as to whether to accept this insult
in silence or not, and finally decided to make just one more remark.

"I wonder if she’ll send any word to Arethusa ’n’ Mary."

"They’ll know soon enough," said Joshua oracularly.

"How’ll they know, I’d like to know?"

"You’ll write ’em."

Lucinda was dumb. The fact that the letter was already written only made
the serpent-tooth of Joshua’s intimate knowledge cut the deeper.





CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE - GRAND FINALE


She has it all made up for him to marry her, and she is certainly
as happy as she is and he is themselves. She is making plans at a