“Listentothat！Moreweddings！“criedLeon。HedroppedonhiskneesbeforeShelley。“Willyoumarryme，myprettymaid？“hebegged。
“Youngman，ifyoucutanycapersrightnow，I’llcuffyourears！“criedfather。“Thisisnopropertimeforyourfoolishness！“
“`Shelley，Ibegthatyouwillbelieveme，andifyoucareformeintheveryleast，telegraphifImaycome。Quick！I’mhalfinsanetoseeyou。Ihavemanythingstotellyou，firstofallhowdearyouaretome。Pleasetelegraph。Robert。’“
“Saddleahorse，Leon！“fathercriedasheunstrappedhiswallet。
“Laddie，takedownhermessage。“
“Canyouputitintotenwords？“askedLaddie。
“Mother，whatwouldyousay？“questionedShelley。
Leonhelduphisfingersandcurleddownonewitheachword。
“Say，`DearRobert。Wellandhappy。Comewhenyougetready。’“
“ButthenIwon’tknowwhenhe’scoming，“objectedShelley。“Youdon’tneedto，“saidLeon。“Youcantakeitforgrantedfromthatepistolaryeffusionthathewon’tletthegrassgrowunderhisfeetwhilecominghere。That’sabullymessage！Itsoundsasifyouweren’tcrazyoverhim，andit’sabigcomplimenttomother。Looksasifshedidn’thavetoknowwhenpeoplearecoming——likeshe’sreadyallthetime。“
“Writeitoutandletmesee，“saidShelley。
SoLaddiewroteit，andshelookedatitalongtime，itseemedtome，atlastshesaid：“Idon’tlikethat`get。’Itdoesn’tsoundright。Wouldn’t`are’bebetter？“
“Comewhenyouareready，“repeatedLaddie。“Yes，that’sbetter。
`Get’soundsrathersaucy。“
“Whynotputit，`Comewhenyouchoose？’“suggestedmother。
“Thatwillleaveawordtospare，soitwon’tlookasifyouhadcountedthemandusedexactlytenonpurpose，anditdoesn’tsoundasifyouexpectedhimtomakelongpreparations，liketheother。Thatwillleaveitwithhimtostartwheneverhelikes。“
“Yes！yes！“criedShelley。“That’smuchbetter！Say，`Comewhenyouchoose！’“
“Right！“saidLaddieashewroteit。“NowI’lltakethis！“
“Ohnoyouwon’t！“criedLeon。“Fathertoldmetosaddlemyhorse。She’sgotenoughspeedinhertobeatyoursamile。I
takethat！Didn’tyousayformetosaddle，father？“
“Suchimportantbusiness，IthinkIbetter，“saidLaddie，andLeonbegantocry。
“Ithinkyoushouldbothgo，“saidShelley。“Itissoimportant，andifonegoestomakeamistake，maybetheotherwillnoticeit。“
“Yes，that’sthebestway，“saidmother。
“Yes，bothgo，“saidfather。
ItwaslikeonestreakwhentheywentuptheBigHill。Fathershookhishead。“Poorjudgment——that，“hesaid。“Neverrunahorseuphill！“
“Butthey’reinsuchahurry，“Shelleyremindedhim。
“Sotheyare，“saidfather。“InthiscaseImighthavebrokentherulemyself。Nowcomeallofyou，andletthechildgetathermail。“
“ButIwantyoutostay，“saidShelley。“I’msoaddle-patedthismorning。Ineedmyfamilytohelpme。“
“Ofcourseyoudo，child，“saidmother。“Familiesweremadetoclingtogether，andstandbyeachotherineverycircumstanceoflife——joyorsorrow。Ofcourseyouneedyourfamily。“
MaybegansortingthelettersbydatessoShelleycouldstartontheonethathadbeenwrittenfirst。Fatherranhisknifeacrossthetopofeach，andcutalltheenvelopes，andShelleytookoutthefirstandreadit；thatwasthetrainone。Inithetoldheraboutsendingtheboywiththenoteagain，andexplainedmoreabouthowitwassoveryimportantforhimtohurry，becausetheonlymanwhocouldhelphimwassosick。Wetalkeditover，andallofusthoughttheboyhadkeptthemoneyandtornupthenote。Fathersaidthewaywouldhavebeentosendthenoteandpaytheboywhenhecameback；butShelleysaidMr。Pagetwouldhavebeengonebeforetheboygotback，sofathersawthatwouldn’thavebeentheway，insuchacase。
Nextshereadonewrittenontheboat。Hetoldmoreaboutsendingtheboy；howhelovedher，whatitwouldmeantobothofthemifhegottheevidencehewantedandwonhisfirstcase；andhowmuchitwouldbringhisfriend。Thenextonetolditalloveragain，andmore。Inthathewrotealittleabouttheocean，thepeopleonboardtheship，andhegaveShelleythenameoftheplacewherehewasgoingandbeggedhertowritetohim。Hetoldheriftheshiphewasonpassedanother，theyweregoingtostopandsendbackthemail。Hebeggedhertowriteoften，andtosaysheforgavehimforstartingawaywithoutseeingher，ashehadbeenforcedto。
Thenextonewasthesamethingover，onlyalittlemoreyet。InthelasthehadreachedEngland，theimportantmanwasstillliving，buthewasalmostgone，andMr。Pagettooktwogoodwitnesses，alltheevidencehehad，andwenttoseehim；andthemansawitwasnouse，sohemadeastatement，andRoberthaditallwrittenout，signedandwitnessed。Fortherealstraightsensetherewasinthatletter，Icouldhavedoneaswellmyself。
Itwasawildjumble，becauseRobertwassocrazyoverhavingtheevidencethatwouldwinhiscase；andhetoldShelleythatnowhewasperfectlyfreetoloveherallshewouldallowhim。Hesaidhehadtostayawhilelongertofindhisfriend’speoplesotheywouldgetbacktheirshareofthemoney，butitwasnotgoingtobeeasytolocatethem。Youwouldn’tthinktheworldsobig，butmaybeitseemedsmallertomebecauseasfarasIcouldseefromthetopofourhouse，wasallIknewaboutit。AfterShelleyhadreadtheletters，andthenoteagain，fatherheavedabigsighthatseemedtocomeclearfromhisbootsolesandhesaid：“WellShelley，itlookstomeasifyouhadfoundaMAN。Seemstomethat’samightyimportantcaseforayounglawyertobetrustedwith，inafirsteffort。“
“Yes，butitwasforRobert’sbestfriend，andonlythink，hehaswon！“
“Idon’tseehowhecouldhavedonebetterifhe’dbeenoldasMethuselah，andwiseasSolomon，“boastedmother。
“Buthehasn’tfoundthepeoplewhomusthavebacktheirmoney，“
saidMay。“HewillhavetogotoEnglandagain。Andhewantstotakeyou，Shelley。My！You’llgettosailonabigsteamer，crosstheAtlanticOcean，andseeLondon。Maybeyou’llevengetapeepattheQueen！“
Shelleywasbusymakingalittleheapofherletters；whenthetoponeslidoffIreachedoverandputitbackforher。Shelookedstraightatme，andsmiledthemostwonderfulandthemostbeautifulsmileIeversawonanyone’sface，soIsaidtoher：
“Yousee！ITOLDyouhewascoming！“
“Ican’tunderstandit！“saidShelley。
“YOUKNOWItoldyou。“
“OfcourseIdo！Butwhatmadeyouthinkso？“
“Thatwastheanswer。Justthathewascoming。“
“Whatareyoutwotalkingabout？“askedmother。
Shelleylookedatme，andwaitedformetotellmotherasmuchasIwantedto，ofwhathadhappened。ButIdidn’tthinkthingslikethatweretobetalkedaboutbeforeeveryone，soIjustsaid：
“Ohnothing！Only，ItoldShelleythisverymorningthatthePagetmanwascomingsoon，andthateverythingwasgoingtobeallright。“
“Youdid？Wellofalltheworld！Ican’tseewhy。“
“Ohsomethingtoldme！IjustFELTthatway。“
“MoreofthatFairynonsense？“askedfathersharply。
“No。Ididn’tgetthatfromtheFairies。“
“Well，nevermind！“saidShelley，rising，becauseshesawthatI
hadtoldallIwantedto。“LittleSisterDIDtellmethismorningthathewascoming，thateverythingwouldbemaderight，andit’sthequeerestthing，butinstantlyIbelievedher。
Didn’tIsingallmorning，mother？ThefirstnotesinceRobertdidn’tcomewhenIexpectedhiminChicago，weeksago。“
“Yes，“saidmother。“That’sawonderfullystrangething。I
can’tseewhatmadeyouthinkso。“
“Anyway，Idid！“Isaid。“Nowlet’sgohavedinner。I’mstarving。“
IcaughtMay’shand，andrantogetawayfromthem。FatherandmotherwalkedoneoneachsideofShelley，whilewithbothhandssheheldherlettersbeforeher。Whenwereachedthehousewejusttalkedaboutthemallthetime。Prettysoontheboyswereback，andthentheytoldaboutsendingthetelegram。Leonvowedhegavetheoperatoradimeextratostartthatmessagewithashove，soitwouldgofaster。
“Itwillgoallright，“saidLaddie，“andhowitwillgowon’tbeacircumstancetothewayhe’llcome。Ifthere’sanythingweoughttodo，beforehegetshere，weshouldhustle。Chicagoisn’tathousandmilesaway。Thatmessagecanreachhimbytwoo’clock，it’sprobablehehasgotreadywhilehewaswaiting，sohewillstartonthefirsttrainourway。HecouldreachGrovevilleontheten，to-morrow。Webettermeetit。“
“Yes，we’llmeetit，“saidmother。“Isthecarriageperfectlyclean？“
Fathersaid：“Itmustbegoneover。Ourgeneralmanagerhereorderedmetospeedup，andwedrovealittlecomingfromtown。“
Motherwenttoplanningwhatelseshouldbedone。
“Don’tdoanything！“criedShelley。“Thehouseisallright。
There’snoneedtoworkandworryintoasweat。Hewon’tnoticeorcarehowthingslook。“
“Imissmyguessifhedoesn’tnoticeandcareverymuchindeed，“
saidmotheremphatically。“Menarenotblind。Nooneneedthinktheydon’tseewhenthingsarenotastheyshouldbe，justbecausethey’renotcattishenoughtoletyouknowit，likeawomanalwaysdoes。Shelley，wouldn’tyouliketorideoverandspendtheafternoonwiththePrincess？“
“Nope！“saidShelley。“It’sherturntocometoseeme。
Besides，youdon’tgetmeoutofthewaylikethat。Iknowwhatyou’lldohere，andIintendtohelp。“
“Doyouneedoneoftheboysatthehouse？“askedfather，andifyou’llbelieveit，bothofthemwantedtostay。
Fathersaidhemusthaveonetohelpwashthecarriageanddoalittlefixingaroundthebarn；sohetookLeon，buthedidn’tliketogo。Hesaid：“Idon’tseewhatallthisfussisabout，anyway。Probablyhe’llbeanotherPeter。“
Shelleylookedathim：“OhMr。Pagetisn’tnearlysolargeasPeter，“shesaid，“andhishairiswhiterthanyours，whilehiseyesarenotsoblue。“
“Saintspreserveus！“criedLeon。“Comeon，father，let’sonlydustthecarriage！He’snotworthwashingitfor。“
“Ishelikethat？“askedmotheranxiously。
“Waitandsee！“saidShelley。“Looksdon’tmakeaman。Hehasprovedwhathecando。“
Thenallofuswenttowork。Beforenightwewerehuntingovertheyard，andbesidetheroad，toseeifwecouldfindanythingtopickup。Sixchickenswereinthecellar，fatherwastobringmeatandalonglistofgroceriesfromtowninthemorning。Hewastostartearly，getthembeforetraintime，putthemunderthebackseat，andtakethemoutafterhedroveintothelane，whenhecameback。Thatmadealittlemoretroubleforfather，buttherewasnottheslightestnecessityformakingMr。Pagetfeelthathehadriddeninadeliverywagon。
NextmorningIwakenedlaughingsoftly，becausesomeonewasfussingwithmyhair，pattingmyface，andkissingme，soIputupmyarmsandpulledthatlovingpersondownonmypillow，andgavebacklittlehalf-asleepkisses，andslepton；butitwasShelley，andshegentlyshookmeandbeganrepeatingthatfoololdthingIhavebeenwakedupwithhalfthemorningsofmylife：
“Getup，LittleSister，themorningisbright，Thebirdsareallsingingtowelcomethelight，Getup；forwhenallthingsaremerryandglad，Goodchildrenshouldneverbelazyandsad；
ForGodgivesusdaylight，dearsister，thatweMayrejoicelikethelarkandworklikethebee。“
UsuallyI’dhavegoneonsleeping，butShelleywassosweetandlovely，andshekissedmesohard，thatIremembereditwasgoingtobeamostexcitingday，soIcametoquickassnapandjumpedrightup，forIdidn’twanttomissasinglethingthatmighthappen。
Thecarriagewasshiningwhenitcametothegate，sowasfather。
Ithoughttherewasgoingtobeavacantseatbesidehim，andI
askedifImightgoalong。Hesaid：“Yes，ifmothersaysso。“
Healwayswouldstickthatin。SoIrantoaskher，andshedidn’tcare，ifShelleymadenoobjections。Iwasjuststartingtofindher，whenhereshecame，allshiningtoo，butLaddiewaswithher。Ihadn’tknownthathewasgoing，andIwassodisappointedIcouldn’thelpcrying。
“What’sthematter？“askedShelley。
“FatherandmotherbothsaidImightgo，ifyoudidn’tcare。“
“Why，I’mdreadfullysorry，“saidShelley，“butIhaveseveralthingsIwantLaddietodoforme。“
Laddiestoopeddowntokissmegood-byeandhesaid：“Don’tcry，LittleSister。Thewaytobehappyistobegood。“
ThentheydrovetoGroveville，andwehadtowait。Buttherewassomuchtodo，itmadeusflytogetallofitfinished。SomothersentLeonafterMrs。Freshetttohelpinthekitchen，whileCandaceworeherwhitedress，andwaitedonthetable。