Mrs. Mason welcomed them at the door and they were shown into the parlor, where Huldy sat at the piano.  The young girls greeted each other warmly, and Mrs. Mason and Huldy both wished Quincy and Alice to stay to tea.  They declined, saying they had many letters to read before supper and ’Zekiel would think something had happened to them if they did not come home.

“I will send Hiram down to let them know,” said Mrs. Mason.

“You must really excuse us this time,” protested Quincy.  “Some other time perhaps Miss Pettengill will accept your hospitality.”

“But when?” asked Mrs. Mason.  “We might as well fix a time right now.”

“Yes,” said Huldy, “and we won’t let them go till they promise.”

“Well, my plan,” said Mrs. Mason, “is this.  Have ’Zekiel and Alice and Mr. Sawyer come over next Monday afternoon about five o’clock, and we will have tea at six, and we will have some music in the evening.  I have so missed your singing, Mr. Sawyer, since you went away.”

“Yes,” said Huldy, “I think it is real mean of you, Alice, not to let him come and see us oftener.”

Alice flushed and stammered, “I—­I—­I do not keep him from coming to see you.  Why, yes, I have too,” said she, as a thought flashed through her mind.  “I will tell you the truth, Mrs. Mason.  Mr. Sawyer offered to do some writing for me, and I have kept him very busy.”

She stopped and Quincy continued: 

“I did do a little writing for her, Mrs. Mason, during the great snowstorm, and it was as great a pleasure to me, as I hope it was a help to her, for I had nothing else to do.”

“Well,” said Mrs. Mason, “you can settle that matter between yer.  All that Huldy and me wants to know is, will all three of you come and take tea with us next Monday night?”

“I shall be greatly pleased to do so,” said Quincy.

“If ’Zekiel will come, I will,” said Alice, and Quincy for an instant felt a slight touch of wounded feeling because Alice had ignored him entirely in accepting the invitation.

As they drove home, Alice said:  “Mrs. Mason managed that nicely, didn’t she?  I didn’t wish to appear too eager to come, for Huldy might have suspected.”

“What mystery is this?” asked Quincy.  “I really don’t know what you are talking about.”

“What!” said Alice.  “Didn’t ’Zekiel tell you about the surprise party that Mr. Strout was getting up, and that you, ’Zekiel, and I were not to be invited?”

“Oh!  I see,” said Quincy.  “How stupid I have been!  I knew all about it and that it was to be next Monday, but Mrs. Mason asked us so honestly to come to tea, and Huldy joined in so heartily, that for the time being I got things mixed, and besides, to speak frankly, Miss Pettengill, I was thinking of something else.”

“And what was it?” asked Alice.

“Well,” said Quincy, determined to break the ice, “I will tell you.  I was wondering why you said you would come to tea if ’Zekiel would come.”