I shan't interrupt any of her little games.

Let her have her little field all to herself: it's time she was married, to be sure." Meanwhile, John was being charmingly ciceroned by Lillie, and scarcely knew whether he was in the body or out.

All that he felt, and felt with a sort of wonder, was that he seemed to be acceptable and pleasing in the eyes of this little fairy, and that she was leading him into wonderland.
They went not only to the boiling spring, but up and down so many wild, woodland paths that had been cut for the adornment of the Carmel Springs, and so well pleased were both parties, that it was supper-time before they reappeared on the lawn; and, when they did appear, Lillie was leaning confidentially on John's arm, with a wreath of woodbine in her hair that he had arranged there, wondering all the while at his own wonderful boldness, and at the grace of the fair entertainer.
[Illustration: "Lillie was leaning confidentially on John's arm."] The returning couple were seen from the windows of Mrs.Chit, who sat on the lookout for useful information; and who forthwith ran to the apartments of Mrs.Chat, and told her to look out at them.
Billy This, who was smoking his cigar on the veranda, immediately ran and called Harry That to look at them, and laid a bet at once that Lillie had "hooked" Seymour.
"She'll have him, by George, she will!" "Oh, pshaw! she is always hooking fellows, but you see she don't get married," said matter-of-fact Harry.

"It won't come to any thing, now, I'll bet.

Everybody said she was engaged to Danforth, but it all ended in smoke." Whether it would be an engagement, or would all end in smoke, was the talk of Carmel Springs for the next two weeks.
At the end of that time, the mind of Carmel Springs was relieved by the announcement that it was an engagement.
The important deciding announcement was first authentically made by Lillie to Belle Trevors, who had been invited into her room that night for the purpose.
"Well, Belle, it's all over.