"Give me a day's notice, and I will have another cook if Maggie should
be under the weather," she answered eagerly.

"Oh, that reminds me," he said, and thrusting his hand into his pocket
he went out to the kitchen. When he came back he went at once to the
window, "I'm afraid that stage-driver has forgotten me," he said,
frowning. But she reassured him--it really wasn't time yet; then she
leaned her cheek on his shoulder.

"Do you think you can come in a fortnight, Lloyd? Come the first of
May, and everything shall be perfect. Will you?"

Laughing, he put a careless arm around her, then catching sight of the
stage pulling up at the gate, turned away so quickly that she
staggered a little.

"Ah!" he said in a relieved voice;--"beg your pardon, Nelly;--There's
the stage!"

At the door he kissed her hurriedly; but she followed him, bareheaded,
out into the mist, catching his hand as they went down the path.

"Good-by!" he called back from the hinged step of the stage. "Get
along, driver, get along! I don't want to miss my train in Mercer.
Good-by, my dear. Take care of yourself."

Helena standing at the gate, followed the stage with her eyes until
the road turned at the foot of the hill. Then she went back to the
bench under the silver poplar and sat down. She said to herself that