THE COUNTRY ROAD 119 



world did he know it was Bill Smith s team?&quot; 

 We smiled over the story of a postmistress 

 who had the ill luck to be selling stamps when 

 a carriage passed. She hastily shoved them 

 out, and ran to the side window too late ! 

 &quot;Sakes!&quot; she sighed; &quot;that s the second I ve 

 missed to-day!&quot; We smiled, but I know now 

 that if I had been in that postmistress s place 

 I should have felt exactly as she did. 



When we began to realize the change in 

 ourselves, we were at first rather sheepish and 

 apologetic about it. We fell into the way of 

 sitting where we could naturally glance out 

 of the windows, but we did this casually, as if 

 by chance, and said nothing about it. When 

 August came, and dusk fell early and lamps 

 were lighted at supper-time, I drew down the 

 shades. 



But one night Jonathan said, carelessly, 

 &quot;Why do you pull them all the way down?&quot; 



&quot;Why not?&quot; I asked, with perhaps just a 

 suspicion. 



&quot;Oh,&quot; he said, &quot;it always seems so cheer 

 ful from the road to look in at a lighted 

 window.&quot; 



I left them up, but I noticed that Jonathan 



