"Well, any way, you have a pretty sure safeguard that I never shall make her one."
Katharine's face brightened beautifully. She looked toward him with a long, steady glance of affection. Tears trembled on her long lashes, and shone like dew where they had fallen on the damask of her cheek. But the smile upon her mouth, and the tenderness in her eyes, were enough to excuse any man for remembering, just then, that she was his own wife.
Thrasher drew her toward him, and kissed her with hearty warmth for the first time since his return home.
I am afraid the dear old people standing by the window saw it, for they looked at each other slyly and turned away.
CHAPTER XVIII.
MRS. MASON'S RICH UNCLE IN THE SOUTH.
"Mother!"
"Well, Katharine?"
"Nelson Thrasher came home last night."
"Better have stayed away!" answered the stern old lady, thrusting her knitting-needle into the goose-quill tube of her sheath, which was fastened, like the leaf of some great, red flower, on the right side of her waist. "No good ever followed his coming, that I ever heard of."