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"If Judith would only get married," Mrs. Theodora Whitney was wont to sighdolorously.Now, there was no valid reason why Judith ought to get married unless she wantedto. But Judith was twenty-seven and Mrs. Theodora thought it was a terribledisgrace to be an old maid."There has never been an old maid in our family so far back as we know of," shelamented. "And to think that there should be one now! It just drags us down to thelevel of the McGregors. They have always been noted for their old maids."Judith took all her aunt's lamentations good-naturedly. Sometimes she argued thesubject placidly."Why are you in such a hurry to be rid of me, Aunt Theo? I'm sure we're verycomfortable here together and you know you would miss me terribly if I went away.""If you took the right one you wouldn't go so very far," said Mrs. Theodora,darkly significant. "And, anyhow, I'd put up with any amount of lonesomenessrather than have an old maid in the family. It's all very fine now, when you'restill young enough and good looking, with lots of beaus at your beck and call. Butthat won't last much longer and if you go on with your dilly-dallying you'll wakeup some fine day to find that your time for choosing has gone by. Your mother usedto be dreadful proud of your good looks when you was a baby. I told her sheneedn't be. Nine times out of ten a beauty don't marry as well as an ordinarygirl.""I'm not much set on marrying at all," declared Judith sharply. Any reference tothe "right one" always disturbed her placidity. The real root of the trouble wasthat Mrs. Theodora's "right one" and Judith's "right one" were two differentpeople.The Ramble Valley young men were very fond of dancing attendance on Judith, evenif she were verging on old maidenhood. Her prettiness was undeniable; the Stewartscame to maturity late and at twenty-seven Judith's dower of milky-white flesh,dimpled red lips and shining bronze hair was at its fullest splendor. Besides, shewas "jolly," and jollity went a long way in Ramble Valley popularity.Of all Judith's admirers Eben King alone found favor in Mrs. Theodora's eyes. Heowned the adjoining farm, was well off and homely--so homely that Judith declaredit made her eyes ache to look at him.Bruce Marshall, Judith's "right one" was handsome, but Mrs. Theodora looked uponhim with sour disapproval. He owned a stony little farm at the remote end ofRamble Valley and was reputed to be fonder of many things than of work. To besure, Judith had enough capability and energy for two; but Mrs. Theodora detesteda lazy man. She ordered Judith not to encourage him and Judith obeyed. Judithgenerally obeyed her aunt; but, though she renounced Bruce Marshall, she wouldhave nothing to do with Eben King or anybody else and all Mrs. Theodora'sgrumblings did not mend matters.The afternoon that Mrs. Tony Mack came in Mrs. Theodora felt more aggrieved thanever. Ellie McGregor had been married the previous week--Ellie, who was the sameage as Judith and not half so good looking. Mrs. Theodora had been nagging Judithever since."But I might as well talk to the trees down there in that hollow," she complainedto Mrs. Tony. "That girl is so set and contrary minded. She doesn't care a bit for

my feelings."This was not said behind Judith's back. The girl herself was standing at the opendoor, drinking in all the delicate, evasive beauty of the spring afternoon. TheWhitney house crested a bare hill that looked down on misty intervals, featheredwith young firs that were golden green in the pale sunlight. The fields were bareand smoking, although the lanes and shadowy places were full of moist snow.Judith's face was aglow with the delight of mere life and she bent out to frontthe brisk, dancing wind that blew up from the valley, resinous with the odors offirs and damp mosses.At her aunt's words the glow went out of her face. She listened with her eyesbrooding on the hollow and a glowing flame of temper smouldering in them. Judith'slong patience was giving way. She had been flicked on the raw too often of late.And now her aunt was confiding her grievances to Mrs. Tony Mack--the mostnotorious gossip in Ramble Valley or out of it!"I can't sleep at nights for worrying over what will become of her when I'm gone,"went on Mrs. Theodora dismally. "She'll just have to live on alone here--alonesome, withered-up old maid. And her that might have had her pick, Mrs. Tony,though I do say it as shouldn't. You must feel real thankful to have all yourgirls married off--especially when none of them was extry good-looking. Somepeople have all the luck. I'm tired of talking to Judith. Folks'll be saying soonthat nobody ever really wanted her, for all her flirting. But she just won'tmarry.""I will!"Judith whirled about on the sun warm door step and came in. Her black eyes wereflashing and her round cheeks were crimson."Such a temper you never saw!" reported Mrs. Tony afterwards. "Though 'tweren't tobe wondered at. Theodora was most awful aggravating.""I will," repeated Judith stormily. "I'm tired of being nagged day in and day out.I'll marry--and what is more I'll marry the very first man that asks me--that Iwill, if it is old Widower Delane himself! How does that suit you, Aunt Theodora?"Mrs. Theodora's mental processes were never slow. She dropped her knitting balland stooped for it. In that time she had decided what to do. She knew that Judithwould stick to her word, Stewart-like, and she must trim her sails to catch thisnew wind."It suits me real well, Judith," she said calmly, "you can marry the first manthat asks you and I'll say no word to hinder."The color went out of Judith's face, leaving it pale as ashes. Her hasty assertionhad no sooner been uttered than it was repented of, but she must stand by it now.She went out of the kitchen without another glance at her aunt or the delightedMrs. Tony and dashed up the stairs to her own little room which looked out overthe whole of Ramble Valley. It was warm with the March sunshine and the leaflessboughs of the creeper that covered the end of the house were tapping a gay tattooon the window panes to the music of the wind.Judith sat down in her little rocker and dropped her pointed chin in her hands.Far down the valley, over the firs on the McGregor hill and the blue mirror of theCranston pond, Bruce Marshall's little gray house peeped out from a semicircle ofwhite-stemmed birches. She had not seen Bruce since before Christmas. He had been

angry at her then because she had refused to let him drive her home from prayermeeting. Since then she had heard a rumor that he was going to see Kitty Leigh atthe Upper Valley.Judith looked sombrely down at the Marshall homestead. She had always loved thequaint, picturesque old place, so different from all the commonplace spick andspan new houses of the prosperous valley. Judith had never been able to decidewhether she really cared very much for Bruce Marshall or not, but she knew thatshe loved that rambling, cornery house of his, with the gable festooned with thereal ivy that Bruce Marshall's great-grandmother had brought with her fromEngland. Judith thought contrastingly of Eben King's staring, primrose-coloredhouse in all its bare, intrusive grandeur. She gave a little shrug of distaste."I wish Bruce knew of this," she thought, flushing even in her solitude at theidea. "Although if it is true that he is going to see Kitty Leigh I don't supposehe'd care. And Aunt Theo will be sure to send word to Eben by hook or crook.Whatever possessed me to say such a mad thing? There goes Mrs. Tony now, all agogto spread such a delectable bit of gossip."Mrs. Tony had indeed gone, refusing Mrs. Theodora's invitation to stay to tea, soeager was she to tell her story. And Mrs. Theodora, at that very minute, was outin her kitchen yard, giving her instructions to Potter Vane, the twelve year oldurchin who cut her wood and did sundry other chores for her."Potter," she said, excitedly, "run over to the Kings' and tell Eben to come overhere immediately--no matter what he's at. Tell him I want to see him aboutsomething of the greatest importance."Mrs. Theodora thought that this was a master stroke."That match is as good as made," she thought triumphantly as she picked up chipsto start the tea fire. "If Judith suspects that Eben is here she is quite likelyto stay in her room and refuse to come down. But if she does I'll march himupstairs to her door and make him ask her through the keyhole. You can't stumpTheodora Whitney."Alas! Ten minutes later Potter returned with the unwelcome news that Eben was awayfrom home."He went to Wexbridge about half an hour ago, his ma said. She said she'd tell himto come right over as soon as he kem home."Mrs. Theodora had to content herself with this, but she felt troubled. She knewMrs. Tony Mack's capabilities for spreading news. What if Bruce Marshall shouldhear it before Eben?That evening Jacob Plowden's store at Wexbridge was full of men, sitting about onkegs and counters or huddling around the stove, for the March air had grown sharpas the sun lowered in the creamy sky over the Ramble Valley hills. Eben King had akeg in the corner. He was in no hurry to go home for he loved gossip dearly andthe Wexbridge stores abounded with it. He had exhausted the news of PeterStanley's store across the bridge and now he meant to hear what was saying atPlowden's. Bruce Marshall was there, too, buying groceries and being waited on byNora Plowden, who was by no means averse to the service, although as a rule herfather's customers received scanty tolerance at her hands."What are the Valley roads like, Marshall?" asked a Wexbridge man, between twosquirts of tobacco juice.