274 



RECREA TION. 



it for a short distance, then turned down a 

 country road. This was a bold venture, 

 but he shrewdly reasoned that his brother 

 was too much engrossed to notice the di- 

 rection he was taking. Driving with one 

 hand, he slipped out of his livery and into 

 his own overcoat. The carriage entered a 

 dense wood. Now was his chance. He 

 stopped the horses, leaped to the ground 

 and hid behind a pile of brush. 



A few seconds elapsed, then the door 

 opened, and Jack angrily demanded of the 

 driver why he had halted. Receiving no 

 answer, he stepped out, expressing his as- 

 tonishment, on looking about in vain for 

 the coachman. Finally he thrust his head 

 into the carriage, and seemed in earnest 

 conversation with Dorothy. 



" Most likely she's frightened," thought 

 Harvey. " I'm mighty sorry about that. 

 Well, her fright won't last long, and she'll 

 laugh when she discovers the joke." 



Soon Jack withdrew his head. In the 

 dim light Harvey could see him climbing 

 reluctantly to the box. Harvey crept 

 stealthily around, softly opened the door 

 and closed it after him. Jack was fumbling 

 over the coat, to ascertain whether the 

 driver had not fallen against the dash- 

 board in a drunken sleep. 



Within the coach, Harvey endeavored to 

 soothe Dorothy's alarm. By daylight, she 

 would have recognized him, but he was 

 now safe, for a time at least. 



" I thought that miserable cabby had dis- 

 appeared entirely," he explained; " but just 

 as I was about to take the reins myself, I 

 saw him. He lay under the seat asleep. 

 He is intoxicated. I poked him once or 

 twice and brought him around. He'll be 

 able to drive us to the Fairchilds, I guess. 

 When we get there, I'll telephone for an- 

 other coach. I hope you haven't been 

 frightened, Dorothy." 



" No, indeed. I — I'm sure I've been real 

 brave." Her voice was tremulous, but she 

 added, with a sweet tenderness that nearly 

 drove Harvey distracted, " You don't sup- 

 pose I'd be timid with you here to protect 

 me, do you, Jack? " 



• " I don't think you ought to be," Harvey 

 responded, absently. He was beginning to 

 hate himself. In a vague way, he had half 

 expected to reveal his identity as soon as 

 he entered the carriage, trusting Dorothy 

 to forgive him and to enjoy the joke; but 

 the words of the girl he loved sent a chill 

 to his heart. 



" Surely," continued Dorothy, " you 

 wouldn't have asked me to be your wife, if 

 you hadn't felt confident you could take 

 care of me; and I wouldn't have accepted 

 you, had I not trusted you implicitly." 



A little gloved hand stole out from the 

 folds of the cloak, and gave a gentle press- 

 ure to his own. Harvey sat as one petri- 

 fied. His lips moved, but no word escaped 

 him. What was to be done? Should he 



confess the deception, so innocently 

 planned, but so unhappy in its result; or 

 should he avert a nervous shock by keep- 

 ing Dorothy in ignorance? Knowing the 

 worst had come, he decided to adopt the 

 latter course. So he held the little hand 

 and made an attempt to appear as light 

 hearted as a newly appointed fiance. Har- 

 vey showed himself a good actor; though 

 he followed the art because of no love he 

 bore it. 



It was a trying half hour for Harvey 

 Prentiss. Indeed, it was a trying half hour 

 for The Two Peas. Jack did not relish 

 driving a coach with his sweetheart inside. 

 Dorothy was the only one who was happy. 



" When we reach the Fairchilds'," said 

 Harvey, " we will hurry into the house. 

 The driver might indulge in language un- 

 fit for you to hear." 



When the coach stopped, Jack, who was 

 preparing to alight, was spellbound to see 

 the door swing violently open and Harvey 

 and Dorothy emerge. Before he could col- 

 lect his senses, they had reached the house. 

 Jack stood on the box for a moment, 

 speechless. A friend who happened along 

 was equally surprised to see Jack, with the 

 reins in his hand, staring blankly at the 

 house. 



" Hi, Jack, what's this? Paying off an 

 election bet? How long are they going to 

 make you stay up there? " 



Then Jack jumped down from his perch, 

 and leaving the horses in charge of a boy, 

 walked arm in arm with his friend, toward 

 the house. Suddenly it all dawned on him, 

 and he broke into a peal of laughter. 



"Ha! ha! The joke's on me! Oh, it's 

 too good to keep. Come up to the dress- 

 ing-room later, and I'll tell you." 



The Two Peas met in the dressing-room. 

 When Jack entered, Harvey was nervously 

 pacing the floor. 



" Hello, Jack! Thank Heaven you got 

 rid of the horses! I was afraid you weren't 

 coming in. The dickens would have been 

 to pay then. I can't tell you why now, for 

 you must brush up, and meet Dorothy 

 when she's ready to go down. Make be- 

 lieve you were with her all the time. Don't 

 breathe a word about having been on the 

 driver's box." 



Harvey breathed a sigh of relief. Then, 

 to quiet his nerves, he smoked the " per- 

 fecto " his brother had been kind enough 

 to give him. 



Mrs Fairchild was greatly pleased to see 

 the twins, when she expected only one. 

 She hastened to assure the wrong pea his 

 presence was as much a pleasure as it was 

 a surprise. Dorothy was surprised, too, 

 for she had not expected to see him. To 

 this day, she does not know she murmured 

 tender words to the man who is now her 

 brother-in-law. If she should be told the 

 story, she would probably laugh merrily, 

 because it happened so many years ago. 



