every day or two."

"I shall see you very soon," said Geoff, on the other side. "Clarence is
not coming without me, I can assure you."

Then the carriage drove away; and the two partners went back into the
house, which looked suddenly empty and deserted.

"I'll tell you what!" began Clarence.

"And I'll tell _you_ what!" rejoined Geoff.

"A house isn't worth a red cent which hasn't a woman in it."

"You might ride down and ask Miss Perkins to step up and adorn our lives,"
said his friend, grimly. Miss Perkins was a particularly rigid spinster
who taught a school six miles distant, and for whom Clarence entertained a
particular distaste.

"You be hanged! I don't mean that kind. I mean--"

"The nice kind, like Mrs. Hope and your cousin. Well, I'm agreed."

"I shall go down after the mail to-morrow," remarked Clarence, between the
puffs of his pipe.

"So shall I."

"All right; come along!" But though the words sounded hearty, the tone
rather belied them. Clarence was a little puzzled by and did not quite