Tests

"Why?" asked Uncle Amos. "I'll bite."

"Well, he seems to be out of it a great deal; he spends half of his
time in our house. I think, Uncle Amos, as head of the house here, you
should ask him what his intentions are."

"Phil!" Amanda's protest was vehement. "You make me as tired as some
other people round here do. As soon as a man walks down the road with a
girl the whole matter is settled--they'll surely marry soon! It would
be nice if people would attend to their own affairs."

"Makes me tired too," said Philip fervently. "Last week I met that
Sarah from up the road and naturally walked to the car with her. You
all know what a fright she is--cross-eyed, pigeon-toed, and as
brilliant mentally as a dark night in the forest. When I got into the
car I heard some one say, 'Did you see Philip Reist with that girl? I
wonder if he keeps company with her.' Imagine!"

"Serves you right," Amanda told him with impish delight. "I hope every
cross-eyed, pigeon-toed girl in the county meets you and walks with
you!"

"Feel better now, Sis?" His grin brought laughter to the crowd and
Amanda's peeved feeling was soon gone.

It was true, Martin Landis spent many hours at the Reist farmhouse. He
seemed filled with an insatiable desire for the companionship of
Amanda. Scarcely a day passed without some glimpse of him at the Reist
home.

Just what that companionship meant to the young man he did not stop to
analyze at first. He knew he was happy with Amanda, enjoyed her
conversation, felt a bond between them in their love for the vast
outdoors, but he never went beyond that. Until one day in early
November when he was walking down the lonely road after a pleasant
evening with Amanda. He paused once to look up at the stars,
remembering what the girl had said concerning them, how they comforted
and inspired her. A sudden rush of feeling came to him as he leaned on
the rail fence and looked up.... "Look here," he told himself, "it's
time you take account of yourself. What's all this friendship with your
old companion leading to? Do you love Amanda?" The "stars in their
courses" seemed to twinkle her name, every leafless tree along the road
she loved seemed to murmur it to him--Amanda! It was suddenly the
sweetest name in the whole world to him!