Redbud returned his bright smile.  Her eye wandered toward Cloud, who stood perfectly still—­the turkey, which had not been removed, yet dangling at his saddle-bow.

Verty followed the young girl’s glance, and smiled.

“I know what you are looking at,” he said; “you are looking at that wild turkey, and thinking that I am a poor sort of a lawyer, with such a book to read out of.  But I shot him coming along.”

Redbud laughed; her coolness could not last in Verty’s presence; his fresh voice, so full of their old happy times, made her a child again.

“And how did you find me’?” she said, in her old tone.

“By your pigeon!”

“My pigeon?

“Yes, indeed; I shot him.”

“You shot him, Verty?”

Verty experienced,—­he knew not why,—­a feeling of extreme delight, on hearing his name from her lips.

“Yes, I did so, Redbud,” he replied, confidentially, “and I cured him, too.  Look at him, up there on the roof, coo-cooing!  He was sailing over the town, and I sent an arrow after him, and brought him straight down.”

“Oh, Verty! how cruel!”

“I never would ’a shot him if I had seen the name on his neck.”

“The name—­yes—­”

“Yours, Redbud.  There was a piece of paper, and on it—­but here’s the paper.”

And Verty took from his bosom the yellow scroll, and placed it in
Redbud’s hand.

She took it, smiling, and read the words—­“I am Miss Redbud’s pigeon, and Fanny gave me to her.”

“Oh, yes,” she said, “and I am glad he’s come back; poor fellow, I hav’nt seen him for days!”

“I had him,” said Verty.

“At home?”

“Yes.”

“Curing him?”

Verty nodded.

“You know that was what I wanted.  I cured him, and then let him go, and followed him, and found you.”

Verty, in an absent way, took Miss Redbud’s hand, and was guilty of the bad taste of squeezing it.

The reply and the action seemed to recall Redbud to herself; and she suddenly drew back with a blush.

Verty looked astounded.  In the midst of his confusion a martial “hem!” was heard, and Mr. Jinks, who had been carefully adjusting his toilette, drew near the lovers.

“Hem!” said Mr. Jinks, “a very fine day, Miss Redbud.  Loveliest of your sex and delight of the world, have I the pleasure of seeing you in that high state of happiness and health which of right should belong to you?”

With this Mr. Jinks bowed and gesticulated, and spread out his arms like a graceful giraffe, and dispensed on every side the most engaging grimaces.

Redbud bowed, with an amused look in her little blushing face; and just as she had got through with this ceremony, another personage was added to the company.

This was an elderly lady of severe aspect, who, clad in black, and with an awfully high cap, which cast a shadow as it came, appeared at the door of the house, and descended like a hawk upon the group.