“I am Lulie Hallett,” she went on, “and—­and Mr. Howard and I are—­ are—­”

“We’re engaged to be married,” broke in Howard.  “The fact is, Mr. Bangs, I came over on my bicycle this morning to meet Lulie here where—­where no one would see us.  You see—­well, Cap’n Jethro—­her father, you know—­is prejudiced against me and—­and so to save her trouble and—­and unpleasantness we—­well, we—­”

He was red and confused and stammering.  Galusha was almost as much embarrassed.

“Oh—­oh, all right—­ah—­dear me, yes, of course,” he said, hastily.  “I am very sorry I—­I interrupted.  I beg your pardon.  Ah—­good-morning.”

“But, Mr. Bangs,” Lulie pleaded, earnestly, “you won’t misunderstand this, will you?  We meet in this way on my father’s account.  He is—­you see, he is not very well, and rather prejudiced and—­and stubborn, I’m afraid.  Please don’t think that—­that—­”

“Of course he won’t,” declared Howard.  “Mr. Bangs won’t think anything that he shouldn’t.”

“Oh, no—­no,” stammered Galusha, nervously.  “I am—­I am so sorry I interrupted.  I beg your pardon.”

“And Mr. Bangs,” said Lulie, again, “I wonder if you will be kind enough not to tell any one you saw us?  This is a small place, East Wellmouth, and people do talk—­oh, dreadfully.  If it got to father’s ears he—­ please don’t speak of it, will you, Mr. Bangs?”

“Oh, no; no, indeed, Miss Hallett.  You may depend upon me.”

“I shall tell Martha Phipps myself the next time I see her.  She is my best friend, except—­” with a becoming blush—­“Nelson, and father, of course—­and she understands.  I never have any secrets from her.”

Galusha began to climb the bank.  As his head rose above its upper edge he stopped.

“Ah—­dear me, there’s some one coming in this direction,” he said.

Howard started forward.  “Coming?  Coming here?” he cried.  He sprang up the bank beside Mr. Bangs and peered over its top.

“Oh, confound it!” he exclaimed.  “Lulie, it’s your father.”

“Father?  Coming here?  Why, he started for church.  He never comes to the cemetery on Sunday morning.”

“I can’t help it, he’s coming now.  And there’s some one with him, or coming after him.  It looks like—­ Yes, it’s Raish Pulcifer.”

Miss Hallett was very much distressed.  “Oh, dear, dear, dear!” she cried.  “If father finds us there will be another dreadful time.  And I wouldn’t have Raish Pulcifer see and hear it, of all people in the world.  Oh, what made father come?  Nelson, can’t we run away before he gets here?  Into the pines, or somewhere?”

“No chance, Lulie.  He would see us sure.  If he should stop at the other end of the cemetery it might give us a chance, but he probably won’t.  He’ll come to your mother’s grave and that is close by here.  Oh, hang the luck!”