How you brighten this room, Helen! I think it must be the sunshine that seems caught in your hair.

It gleams like bronze oak-leaves in October." "Love has done wonderful things for your eyes, John," she said, smiling, as she left him.
She put on her heavy gloves and brought her trowel from under the front porch, and she and the maid began to dig up the fresh, damp earth on the sunny side of the house.
"We'll have some sweet-peas here, Alfaretta," she said cheerily, "and I think it would be nice to let the nasturtiums run over that log, don't you?
And you must plant these morning-glory seeds around the kitchen windows." Suddenly she noticed that Alfaretta, instead of listening, was gazing down the road, and her round freckled face flushing hotly.
"He sha'n't come in," she muttered,--"he sha'n't come in!" and dropping the hammer, and the box of tacks, and the big ball of twine, she hurried to the gate, her rough hands clinched into two sturdy fists.
Helen looked towards the road, and saw Mr.Dean come stiffly up to the gate, for lumbago was not altogether a memory.

Alfaretta reached it as he did, and as she stooped to lean her elbows on its top bar she slipped the latch inside.
"Alfaretta," said her father pompously, "open the gate, if you please." As he spoke, he rapped upon it with his heavy stick, and the little latch clattered and shook.
"Were you coming to see me, pa ?" the girl asked nervously.

"I--I'm busy this morning.

It's my night out, so I'll see you this evenin'." "Yes, I'll see you," returned Mr.Dean significantly, "but not now.