“Well, perhaps he did a little:  he told me if I Would trust him he would not let mamma or auntie scold; but you know that was nonsense.  I would like to see any one prevent them if they want to do it.  And he hadn’t any money, and we should have starved:  I told him so.  Then he said there was no danger of that:  he could manage to keep the wolf from the door.  I knew of course that be could easily keep wolves away, for there are none here, and I would not live in that horrid West; but that would not prevent us starving:  auntie said we would starve.”

“Poor Ned!” I murmured.

“You pity poor Ned,” said she, now sobbing, “but you don’t pity poor me at all, and I am the most wretched.”

“Come, don’t cry, Eva,” I said, putting my arm around her:  it was very dark in that corner, and I knew Eva would not fuss about it, as a certain other person did not long ago.  “What shall I do for you, my dear?  Do you want Ned back?  I’ll tell him and make it up between you:  shall I?”

“No, no!  He is so cross and fierce that I should be afraid of him:  he was dreadfully ill-tempered when he left me that night.”

“But that was because he loved you, Eva.”

“When people love me I don’t want them to be disagreeable:  I should not want to vex any one if I loved him.”

“You will make a dear, kind, amiable little wife, I know.”

“But I don’t want to marry Mr. Todd,” she said, still sobbing on my shoulder.  “Oh, Charley, what shall I do?”

Could I find a lovelier, more tender, sweeter wife than the girl now in my arms?  My ideas of affectionate women had changed, dating from about two weeks back, and the conduct of Miss Blanche, who would neither see me nor speak to me since that afternoon, strengthened me in the opinion that a woman is best with some heart.  Was it any wonder, then, that I decided on the spot to answer Eva’s question of “Charley, what shall I do?” by saying “Marry me, my dear:  ’tis the only way I see for you to get out of the scrape”?  Just as my resolve became fixed I heard footsteps near.  In another moment, scarcely giving Eva time to wipe her eyes, those three sisters, the Greys, came trooping by, and stopped in front of us.

“Spooning as usual?” remarked one of them to me.

“Miss Eva, won’t you ask Mr. Todd to give him a lesson in proposing?  I don’t believe he knows how to do it.  A deplorable state of ignorance!” said another.

A merry group soon joined them, and I did not get another chance that evening.  However, I went to my room happy, for I knew I should be successful on the morrow.  Eva loved me:  her mother had said as much when I overheard her in the arbor on the mountain-side, and I knew Aunt Stunner would have no objection, as my income exceeded Todd’s.  In an easy-chair by the open window I thought over my resolution, and counted myself a fortunate man.  In the midst of this reverie the door burst open, shut with a bang, and Ned Hardcash threw himself on a fauteuil opposite me.