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76 "Would I? Wouldn't I, though?" chuckled Reuben, filling his mouth with mince-pie. "It would just be fun to lead him on, thinking you were going to hide him away safely, and once he was in the trap, phew! how quick you'd kick away the prop, and let down the door! And it ain't likely they'd be armed, so there wouldn't be any great danger."

"That's a consideration, certainly," replied his fiancée in so strange a voice that Mercy, whose capacity even for pound-cake and cream-toast was utterly exhausted, turned, and looked sharply at her for a moment, then exclaimed,—

"Why, Molly Wilder, what's the matter with you? You're as white as a sheet, and your eyes are like a cat's in the dark. If there'd been any thing to lay it to, I'd say you were awful mad."

"But as there isn't," said Molly, pushing back her chair.

"But as there isn't," echoed Reuben, also rising, "I think we'd better be going. You know, Molly, mother wants you to come over there to-night, and stay till the storm's over."

"Your mother is very kind, as I said to Mercy," replied Molly steadily; "but I cannot leave home."

"Oh, but you must!" retorted Reuben with easy positiveness. "Mother and I both think it's best, and mother won't let Mercy stay over here anyway."

"I am sorry, because in that case I must stay alone," replied Molly, still in her tone of calm and immovable decision.

Mr. Hetherford began to wax angry, and to