"John Smith," he said, with his natural ease.
"Oh!" half exclaimed Daisy, upon hearing such a very common name from such very uncommon lips; but checking it, and softly humming a tune, she retired to an inner room to prepare for dinner.
This episode was the beginning of elysium for John Smith. Every day saw him at the farm-house. Every day revealed some new charm in the Daisy he had found. She was as industrious and sensible as she was petite and pretty. Rollin and Plutarch were discarded for modern authors, or for simple chit-chat about mamma, papa, and little ones at home.
But when the day came for John Smith to tell his love, he met with a shock that quite paralyzed his senses.
Looking up with her big blue eyes, she said:
"You mustn't talk like that; I'm engaged."
"Engaged?" he stammered, "engaged?"
"Yes, I'm engaged."
"And to whom? May I ask?"
"Oh, I can't tell you his name; it's a secret yet. He is a person I never saw."