“Now, I’m getting down to hard facts, boy.  I want to let you into the great secret, and your chum ditto.  Could you come over to our house, say about ten this morning, and fetch that sharp-eyed Thad along with you?  There’ll be something about to happen then.  We’ve already fixed it to go on a little picnic excursion and take our simple lunch along with us, just to celebrate Matilda’s birthday, you see.  And I’ll ask you to go along, which you must agree to do, if you want to have the finest surprise of your life.  How about it, Hugh?”

“There’s nothing that I can see to prevent us, Mr. Corbley,” the boy assured him, eagerly, “and to tell the truth wild horses couldn’t hold me back, after what I’ve already learned.  I must see the end of your queer game, sir.  But I’m glad that it isn’t likely to interfere with our working in the baseball match, which starts at three this afternoon on the home grounds.”

“Oh!  I assure you we’ll be all through long before then, and luncheon eaten in the bargain; though it isn’t going to be the simple bill of fare that Matilda’ll be putting in the basket we’re going to carry with us.  Well, Hugh, I’m going to keep you in just a little fever of suspense until then.  When you and Thad show up, try to act toward me as you’ve been doing right along.  Don’t call me Mr. Corbley, remember, for that might excite suspicions.  Even poor simple but good-hearted Andrew, whose best clothes I’m wearing right now with brazen assurance, doesn’t dream that I’ve got more than a few dollars in the wide world.  He even begged me not to squander those, saying that we could have a holiday without extra expense; but say, I told him to shut up, that if I chose to spend two dollars on my only sister it was nobody’s business.  I really think Andrew has come to like me first-rate, though I’m a little afraid he misses his garments and has to curtail his customary smokes on my account.”

He laughed at the conceit until he shook all over, and Hugh, now alive to the immensity of the great surprise that awaited the gentle couple, found himself obliged to join in the merriment.

Shortly afterwards Hugh started off to finish his errand.  He rode with speed now because of his eagerness to get back home and look up Thad, upon whom he meant to let loose a bombshell that must fairly stagger him.

It was not yet nine o’clock, and ten was the appointed hour when they were expected to join the picnic party.  Hugh believed he had never in all his life felt one-half so joyous.  If a fortune had come his way he could not have appreciated it as much as he did the knowledge that Matilda and Andrew were going to reap the reward of their long life of tender-heartedness in their relations with their fellows.  It was simply grand, and Hugh felt that his mother must know all about it as soon as the affair had developed to the grand finale and Matilda’s eyes were opened to the fact that she had all this while been entertaining an angel unawares.