Before the next Sabbath our friends had returned to Bar Harbor. For some weeks longer they remained in that vicinity; then, cooler weather making a more southerly climate desirable, they sailed for home. Dr. Percival was so far recovered that he felt in haste to get back to Torriswood and at work among his patients again. He and his Maude paid a flying visit to old friends and relatives at the Oaks and Ion, then hastened to Louisiana by rail.

Max Raymond, to the great satisfaction of himself, his fiancÉe, and his friends, was favored with a lengthening of his furlough, which enabled him to spend some weeks at home in his father's house. Lucilla persuaded Evelyn to be her guest at the same time, Chester was there every evening, and so the courting went merrily on. There was much talk about the new house the captain proposed building, much discussion of the question whether the one building should be made suitable and sufficiently large for two families,—half of it for Max and Eva,—or whether a separate house should be put up for them in another part of the grounds. The decision was finally left to the brides-elect, and as they were very strongly attached, and Max was likely to be often away on the sea for months and years together, they thought it best the two dwellings should be under the same roof, and their decision was highly approved by the captain and all their relatives and friends.

Then followed consultations in regard to the exact spot upon which it should stand, and the studying and comparing of plans to make it as commodious, convenient, and beautiful as possible. The captain was evidently ready to go to any reasonable amount of expense in order to give them an ideal home, his means being ample and his love for his children very great.

But all the time was not spent in that way, for other relatives claimed a share in Max's prized companionship; invitations were given and visits paid to the Oaks, Ion, Fairview, the Laurels, Roselands, Pinegrove, Ashlands, and Riverside. Sometimes the invitation was for dinner or tea, sometimes for the whole day—or longer for the young folks, if not for the older ones and the children. It was on the last day of October they dined at Riverside, nearly all the connection meeting them there, and at Rosie's earnest solicitation Evelyn and Lucilla, Max and Chester accepted an invitation to stay until the next morning, Captain Raymond giving a rather unwilling consent to let Lucilla do so.

"It is Hallowe'en, you know, and I'm just pining for a bit of fun," Rosie said privately to the girls, after seeing the older guests depart. "You two are engaged, to be sure, but 'there's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip,'" she added, with a laugh and a twinkle of fun in her eye.

"But we are not wanting slips," laughed Lucilla.

"Nor much afraid we will get them," added Evelyn merrily. "Still we might have a little fun."

"Provided we take it early enough to get to bed in good season," added Lucilla, in a mirthful tone. "My father, you know, is very particular about that—so kindly anxious is he to keep me in good health."

"Which is altogether right, wise, and kind, I am sure," returned Rosie; "and I don't intend to tempt you to go contrary to his wishes. I'm obliged to him for granting my request for permission to keep you here all night, and I shall not urge you to stay up later than he would allow you to if you were at home. If we try some old-fashioned games we can suit ourselves as to the hour for the experiments."

"Yes," laughed Evelyn, "I shall be quite as sure of the fulfilment of the augury if we get it some hours earlier than people of old times used to look for it."

"Then we will just wait till our old folks get to bed—which they always do in good season," said Rosie.

"Your husband approves, I suppose?" remarked Lucilla inquiringly.

"Oh, yes!" laughed Rosie; "he sees no harm in it, and approves of his wife having all the pleasure she can. I wish we could have had Grace stay and share the fun, but her father vetoed that almost before I had fairly given the invitation."

"Yes," said Lucilla, "poor Gracie is so feeble that father has to be very careful of her."

"Yes; I know," said Rosie, "but I thought he might have left her for once, considering that my two doctor brothers are here for the night—unless called out by some inconveniently sick person."

"Which we will hope they won't be, for even doctors should have a little amusement once in a while," said Evelyn.

"Yes," said Rosie, "and they enjoyed the golf this afternoon, and appear to be having a pleasant time with Max, Chester, and the others out on the river bank there now."

The girls were on the veranda overlooking the river, and just at that moment were joined by Rosie's mother-in-law, the older Mrs. Croly. She sat down and chatted with them for a few moments, then bade them good-night, and went to her own apartments. It was growing dusk then, the young men came in, and presently they all repaired to the drawing-room, where for the next hour or two they entertained each other with music and conversation. Max had some interesting adventures to narrate, to which both young men and maidens were eager listeners.

In the pause that followed the conclusion of the second tale the clock in the hall was heard to strike.

"Eleven!" exclaimed Lucilla, in a tone of surprise and dismay. "Father would say I ought to have gone to my room and my bed more than an hour ago."

"Oh, no! not on Hallowe'en," laughed Rosie; and just then a servant brought in a basket filled with ears of corn, and set it down in their midst.

"What's that for, Rosie?" asked Harold. "You can hardly ask your guests to eat raw corn, especially at this late hour? As a physician I must most emphatically enter my protest."

"Perhaps Rosie is benevolently trying to bring practice into her brothers' hands," remarked Herbert facetiously. "But we are not looking for that at present, but for fun—pure fun, that will bring damage to nobody."

"Yes, my dear brothers, that's what I am endeavoring to do," she returned in sprightly tones. "Perhaps you have not heard of the new game with ears of corn? You folks are all invited to be blindfolded, each in turn, and in that condition to draw out an ear of corn by which to foretell your future fate. A tasselled ear will promise you great joy, a big, full one good luck for a year. A short one will mean a gift is coming, a red or yellow one no luck at all."

"Quite a new idea," said Herbert, "and as there is nothing said about love or marriage, I suppose even engaged folks may try it; married ones also."

"Oh, yes!" replied Rosie, producing a dainty lace-trimmed handkerchief. "Eva, will you kindly consent to take the first turn?"

"If you wish it," returned Evelyn, and the handkerchief was bound about her head and she was led to the basket.

"I suppose I am not to choose by feeling, either, but just to take the first one I happen to touch?" she said inquiringly.

The others assented, and she drew out an ear.

"Oh, good luck for you!" exclaimed Rosie. "It is as big and full a one as the basket holds."

Lucilla was told it was her turn, the handkerchief was bound about her eyes, and she stooped over the basket and drew out quite a short ear.

"Ah, you see I am not so lucky as you were, Eva," she exclaimed, passing her fingers from end to end.

"But it isn't bad," said Rosie. "That means a gift is coming to you soon."

"A good or a bad one?" laughed Lucilla. "Perhaps papa would say I deserved a bad one for staying up so late."

"Oh, no! I think he expected something of the kind—he declined to let Grace stay, you know," said Rosie, "and I did want her badly. Well, gentlemen, which of you will take his turn now?"

At that they all insisted that she should take hers first, which she did, bringing out a tasselled ear.

"Oh, I am fortunate!" she cried, with a merry peal of laughter, "for a tasselled ear is said to mean great joy."

After that the young men took their turns. Chester got a big, full ear, Max a short one, Herbert a tasselled one, Harold a yellow one, which Rosie told him with sighs and groans meant no luck at all.

"But don't be discouraged, brother dear," she said, patting him affectionately on the shoulder, "though older than myself, you are young enough to have lots of good luck after this year is out."

"Many thanks for the assurance, sister mine," he laughed, "and though older than yourself, I believe I am young enough to wait a year for any special good luck."

"And I hope you will have enough afterward to reward you for the patient waiting, Uncle Harold," said Lucilla.

"If he gets all he deserves it will be a great deal," added Evelyn.

"You are good, kind comforters—both; accept my warmest thanks," laughed Harold.

There was a little more lively chat, then the young girls said good-night and went to their rooms—two on the second floor with a communicating door between. Rosie accompanied them, leaving her husband to attend to the gentlemen guests.

"See here, girls," she said, pointing to a basket of rosy-cheeked apples on a stand; "these were put here to induce you to try another Hallowe'en experiment. If you want to see what your future husbands will look like, eat one of these standing before the mirror, brushing your hair all the time, and now and then—when you can get up courage enough—look over your left shoulder."

"Oh, that won't require any courage, Rosie," laughed Evelyn. "I am not in the least afraid of Max—brave officer though he is."

"And I stand in quite as little fear of Chester," said Lucilla. "So that really it seems that your good apples will be almost thrown away."

"Ah, you two forget the 'many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip,'" laughed Rosie. "And it cannot possibly do your lovers any harm, or alienate their affections from you."

"No, we are not at all afraid of that," said Lucilla, "and as your apples look very tempting, I believe I shall run the risk of eating one presently. I suppose I must first don a dressing gown and take down my hair."

"Yes," said Rosie; "you are to stand before the mirror brushing it diligently while eating the apple. And you will try it too, won't you, Eva?"

"Well, yes," returned Evelyn, "just for fun; and if anybody but Max comes to me I shall be sure it is not a truthful augury."

"Max is a fine fellow and has always been one of my favorites," said Rosie, "but there are others in the world that might do just as well, in case you and Max should have a falling out. Or you may live long enough to marry several times."

Evelyn laughed at that, saying she was quite sure once would be enough for her.

"I know you girls did not come prepared to stay all night," said Rosie, "so I have laid out a night-dress and dressing-gown for each of you. Get into them, and you will look nice and pretty enough for an interview with your future husbands."

They thanked her, and, examining the garments which she took from a wardrobe in Eva's room, pronounced them really pretty enough to wear to the breakfast table.

They made haste with their toilets, and in a few minutes each was standing before a mirror, eating an apple and brushing out her hair. Then Rosie left them with a promise to be back again before very long to learn of their success. She artfully left ajar both doors leading into the hall. They opened noiselessly, and presently each had admitted a young man, who, wearing slippers, moved with noiseless tread, and as the girls looked over their left shoulders Eva caught sight of Harold standing a few feet in her rear, gazing steadily at her, a kindly smile upon his features; while at the same moment Lucilla perceived Herbert at a similar distance from her, gazing intently and admiringly upon her.

"Oh, Uncle Herbert," she laughed, "this cannot be a true sign, for I know well enough that neither of us has any loverlike feeling toward the other."

Almost before she finished her sentence he had vanished, and she heard Evelyn saying in mirthful tones, "Ah, Uncle Harold, this is the no luck at all—prophesied by that yellow ear of corn; for, as you know, I am already pledged to another."

At that Harold sighed deeply and withdrew.

But scarcely had he and his brother disappeared when Max silently took his place, Chester at the same time coming up behind Lucilla so that she saw him in the mirror, to which she had again turned, brush in hand.

"Oh, is it you, Chester? You are the right man in the right place," she laughed.

"I hope so, darling," he returned. "What lovely hair!" passing his hand caressingly over it; "so long and thick too. I never before saw it to such advantage."

Max was standing silently behind Evelyn, and just at that moment she caught sight of him in the glass. She turned quickly, and he caught her in his arms, giving her a rapturous kiss.

"Don't be disappointed that I am your future mate," he said.

"Certainly not, since you were already my own free choice," she returned, looking up into his face with one of her sweetest smiles. Just then Lucilla's voice was heard coming from the next room, "Is that you, Max?" and in a moment the four were together, gayly laughing and chatting, both young men insisting that that style of wearing the hair—streaming over the shoulders—was extremely becoming. Then Rosie and her Will joined them for a moment, after which they all bade good-night, and the girls were left alone to seek repose.