"Belle-Ann," he went on, a new line of serious thought suggested to him, "you must promise me one more thing—in fact, if you don't promise, it will disrupt my plan of years—it will—well—it will place me in a very unhappy position."
"What is it, grandpa?" she quizzed through her smiles.
"Well—you see—that is—of course it's a secret," he ended lamely, with a furtive look toward a dim white figure beneath the trees. "As I said before—it's like this——Oh!—plague—take it!—to-night I asked Miss Worth to marry me, and she said she would if she could; but that she couldn't unless you promised to come immediately with us to Lexington and make your home with us—so you see where the whole thing hinges. Will you do me this favor, Belle-Ann?" he pressed anxiously.
Belle-Ann could not restrain herself and laughed outright.
"Don't look so solemn, Grandpa—go tell Miss Worth I said to marry you by all means—I'll do my part."
There was a boyish ring in the Colonel's laugh as he picked his hat up off the grass and with Belle-Ann's arm through his, started toward the porch.
"But—Grandpa," protested Belle-Ann, as her lovely face suddenly sobered, and a grave note crept into her voice, "I must go up to Moon mountain before I think of anything else—some hearts up thah are beating against my return—but I'll promise to come back heah, in three days, Grandpa."
Colonel Tennytown stopped short on the path.
"Ah!—now we have it," he exclaimed. "I know all about those folks. Tell me, my dear, plainly—do you love that boy, Lem?"
Belle-Ann's cheeks turned visibly crimson in the moonlight as she looked up quickly upon this unexpected query.