"Oh, mother, he is not like that."

The daughter contrived to extract a promise from the mother that
Hetta should not be told just at present. Mrs. Bell calculated that
she had six weeks before her; as yet Mr. Beckard had not spoken out,
but there was reason to suppose that he would do so before those six
weeks would be over, and then she would be able to seek counsel from
him.

Mr. Beckard spoke out at the end of six days, and Hetta frankly
accepted him. "I hope you'll love your brother-in-law," said she to
Susan.

"Oh, I will indeed," said Susan; and in the softness of her heart at
the moment she almost made up her mind to tell; but Hetta was full
of her own affairs, and thus it passed off.

It was then arranged that Hetta should go and spend a week with Mr.
Beckard's parents. Old Mr. Beckard was a farmer living near Utica,
and now that the match was declared and approved, it was thought
well that Hetta should know her future husband's family. So she
went for a week, and Mr. Beckard went with her. "He will be back in
plenty of time for me to speak to him before Aaron Dunn's six weeks
are over," said Mrs. Bell to herself.

But things did not go exactly as she expected. On the very morning
after the departure of the engaged couple, there came a letter from
Aaron, saying that he would be at Saratoga that very evening. The
railway people had ordered him down again for some days' special
work; then he was to go elsewhere, and not to return to Saratoga