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month。〃
〃We were spending Sunday with a house party at Hyde Park； and
driving to church； we passed an avenue gate with a lodge。 'Rockhurst； sir；'
said the coachman。 'Whose place？' I inquired。 'The old Beverly place； sir。'
Ethel heard him tell me this； and as we went on； we saw a carriage and
pair coming down the avenue toward the gate with that look which horses
always seem to have when they are taking the family to church on Sunday
morning。〃
〃'If I see her；' said Ethel to me as we entered the door； 'I shall be unable
to say my prayers。'〃
〃But only young people came into the Beverly pew； and Ethel said her
prayers and also sang the hymn and chants very sweetly。〃
〃After the service； we strolled together in the old and lovely grave yard
before starting homeward。 We had told them that we should prefer to walk
back。 The day was beautiful； and one could see a little blue piece of the
river； sparkling。〃
〃'Here is where they are all buried；' said Ethel； and we paused before
brown old headstones with Beverly upon them。 'Died 1750； died 1767；'
continued Ethel； reading the names and inscriptions。 'I think one doesn't
mind the idea of lying in such a place as this。'〃
〃Some of the young people in the pew now came along the path。 'The
grandchildren；' said Ethel。 'She is probably too old to come to church。 Or
she is in Europe。'〃
〃The young people had brought a basket with flowers from their place；
and now laid them over several of the grassy mounds。 'Give me some of
yours；' said one to the other； presently； 'I've not enough for
grandmother's。'〃
〃Ethel took me rather sharply by the arm。 'Did you hear that？' she
asked。〃
〃'It can't be she； you know；' said I。 'He would have come back from
Europe。'〃
〃But we found it out at lunch。 It was she； and she had been dead for
fifteen years。〃
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〃Ethel and I talked it over in the train going up to town on Monday
morning。 We had by that time grown calmer。 'If it is not false pretences；'
said she； 'and you cannot sue him for damages； and if it is not stealing or
something； and you cannot put him in prison； what are you going to do to
him； Richard？'〃
〃As this was a question which I had frequently asked myself during
the night； having found no satisfactory answer to it； I said： 'What would
you do in my place； Ethel？' But Ethel knew。〃
〃'I should find out when he sails； and meet his steamer with a
cowhide。'〃
〃'Then he would sue me for damages。'〃
〃'That would be nothing； if you got a few good cuts in on him。'〃
〃'Ethel；' I said； 'please follow me carefully。 I should like dearly to
cowhide him。 and for the sake of argument we will consider it done Then
comes the lawsuit。 Then I get up and say that I beat him because he made
me buy Standard Egg at 63 by telling me that his mother had some； when
really the old lady had been dead for fifteen years。 When I think of it in
this way； I do not feel'〃
〃I know；' interrupted Ethel； 'you are afraid of ridicule。 All men are。'〃
〃Had Ethel insisted； I believe that I should have cowhided Mr。 Beverly
for her sake。 But before his return our destinies were brightened。 Copper
had been found near Ethel's waste lands in Michigan； and the family
business man was able to sell the property for seven hundred thousand
dollars。 He did this so promptly that I ventured to ask him if delay might
not have brought a greater price。 'Well'； he said； 'I don't know。 You must
seize these things。 Blake and Beverly might have got tired waiting。〃
〃'Blake and Beverly！' I exclaimed 'So they made the purchase。 It Mr。
Beverly back？'〃
〃'Just back。 To tell the truth I don't believe they're finding so much
copper as they hoped。'〃
〃This turned out to be true。 And I am not sure that the business man
had not known it all the while。 'We looked over the property pretty
thoroughly at the time of the Tamarack excitement；' he said。 And in a few
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days more； in fact； it was generally known that this land had returned to its
old state of not quite paying the taxes。〃
〃Then I paid my visit to Mr。 Beverly； but with no cowhide。 'Mr。
Beverly；' said I； 'I want to announce to you my engagement to Miss Ethel
Lansing； whose Michigan copper land you have lately acquired。 I hope
that you bought some for your mother。'〃
〃Those；〃 concluded Mr。 Richard Field； 〃are the circumstances
attending my engagement which I felt might interest you。 And now； Ethel；
tell your story； if they'll listen。〃
〃Richard；〃 said Ethel； 〃that is the story I was going to tell。〃
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