erly。 It's very beautifulbut it might sound very ridiculous if it wasn't told just exactly the right way。〃
〃I don't know what you mean； and I don't believe you know yourself；〃 said Felicity pettishly。 〃All that I can make out is that Miss Reade is going to marry Jasper Dale； and I don't like the idea one bit。 She is so beautiful and sweet。 I thought she'd marry some dashing young man。 Jasper Dale must be nearly twenty years older than herand he's so queer and shyand such a hermit。〃
〃Miss Reade is perfectly happy；〃 said the Story Girl。 〃She thinks the Awkward Man is lovelyand so he is。 You don't know him； but I do。〃
〃Well； you needn't put on such airs about it；〃 sniffed Felicity。
〃I am not putting on any airs。 But it's true。 Miss Reade and I are the only people in Carlisle who really know the Awkward Man。 Nobody else ever got behind his shyness to find out just what sort of a man he is。〃
〃When are they to be married？〃 asked Felicity。
〃In a fortnight's time。 And then they are coming right back to live at Golden Milestone。 Won't it be lovely to have Miss Reade always so near us？〃
〃I wonder what she'll think about the mystery of Golden Milestone；〃 remarked Felicity。
Golden Milestone was the beautiful name the Awkward Man had given his home； and there was a mystery about it； as readers of the first volume of these chronicles will recall。
〃She knows all about the mystery and thinks it perfectly lovely and so do I；〃 said the Story Girl。
〃Do YOU know the secret of the locked room？〃 cried Cecily。
〃Yes； the Awkward Man told me all about it last night。 I told you I'd find out the mystery some time。〃
〃And what is it？〃
〃I can't tell you that either。〃
〃I think you're hateful and mean；〃 exclaimed Felicity。 〃It hasn't anything to do with Miss Reade； so I think you might tell us。〃
〃It has something to do with Miss Reade。 It's all about her。〃
〃Well； I don't see how that can be when the Awkward Man never saw or heard of Miss Reade until she came to Carlisle in the spring；〃 said Felicity incredulously； 〃and he's had that locked room for years。〃
〃I can't explain it to youbut it's just as I've said；〃 responded the Story Girl。
〃Well； it's a very queer thing；〃 retorted Felicity。
〃The name in the books in the room was Aliceand Miss Reade's name is Alice；〃 marvelled Cecily。 〃Did he know her before she came here？〃
〃Mrs。 Griggs says that room has been locked for ten years。 Ten years ago Miss Reade was just a little girl of ten。 SHE couldn't be the Alice of the books；〃 argued Felicity。
〃I wonder if she'll wear the blue silk dress；〃 said Sara Ray。
〃And what will she do about the picture； if it isn't hers？〃 added Cecily。
〃The picture couldn't be hers； or Mrs。 Griggs would have known her for the same when she came to Carlisle；〃 said Felix。
〃I'm going to stop wondering about it；〃 exclaimed Felicity crossly； aggravated by the amused smile with which the Story Girl was listening to the various speculations。 〃I think Sara is just as mean as mean when she won't tell us。〃
〃I can't；〃 repeated the Story Girl patiently。
〃You said one time you had an idea who 'Alice' was；〃 I said。 〃Was your idea anything like the truth？〃
〃Yes； I guessed pretty nearly right。〃
〃Do you suppose they'll keep the room locked after they are married？〃 asked Cecily。
〃Oh； no。 I can tell you that much。 It is to be Miss Reade's own particular sitting room。〃
〃Why； then； perhaps we'll see it some time ourselves； when we go to see Miss Reade；〃 cried Cecily。
〃I'd be frightened to go into it；〃 confessed Sara Ray。 〃I hate things with mysteries。 They always make me nervous。〃
〃I love them。 They're so exciting；〃 said the Story Girl。
〃Just think； this will be the second wedding of people we know；〃 reflected Cecily。 〃Isn't that interesting？〃
〃I only hope the next thing won't be a funeral；〃 remarked Sara Ray gloomily。 〃There were three lighted lamps on our kitchen table last night； and Judy Pineau says that's a sure sign of a funeral。〃
〃Well； there are funerals going on all the time；〃 said Dan。
〃But it means the funeral of somebody you know。 I don't believe in itMUCHbut Judy says she's seen it come true time and again。 I hope if it does it won't be anybody we know very well。 But I hope it'll be somebody I know a LITTLE； because then I might get to the funeral。 I'd just love to go to a funeral。〃
〃That's a dreadful thing to say；〃 commented Felicity in a shocked tone。
Sara Ray looked bewildered。
〃I don't see what is dreadful in it；〃 she protested。
〃People don't go to funerals for the fun of it；〃 said Felicity severely。 〃And you just as good as said you hoped somebody you knew would die so you'd get to the funeral。〃
〃No； no； I didn't。 I didn't mean that AT ALL； Felicity。 I don't want anybody to die； but what I meant was； if anybody I knew HAD to die there might be a chance to go to the funeral。 I've never been to a single funeral yet； and it must be so interesting。〃
〃Well； don't mix up talk about funerals with talk about weddings；〃 said Felicity。 〃It isn't lucky。 I think Miss Reade is simply throwing herself away； but I hope she'll be happy。 And I hope the Awkward Man will manage to get married without making some awful blunder； but it's more than I expect。〃
〃The ceremony is to be very private；〃 said the Story Girl。
〃I'd like to see them the day they appear out in church；〃 chuckled Dan。 〃How'll he ever manage to bring her in and show her into the pew？ I'll bet he'll go in firstor tramp on her dressor fall over his feet。〃
〃Maybe he won't go to church at all the first Sunday and she'll have to go alone；〃 said Peter。 〃That happened in Markdale。 A man was too bashful to go to church the first time after getting married； and his wife went alone till he got used to the idea。〃
〃They may do things like that in Markdale but that is not the way people behave in Carlisle；〃 said Felicity loftily。
Seeing the Story Girl slipping away with a disapproving face I joined her。
〃What is the matter； Sara？〃 I asked。
〃I hate to hear them talking like that about Miss Reade and Mr。 Dale；〃 she answered vehemently。 〃It's really all so beautiful but they make it seem silly and absurd； somehow。〃
〃You might tell me all about it； Sara；〃 I insinuated。 〃I wouldn't telland I'd understand。〃
〃Yes； I think you would；〃 she said thoughtfully。 〃But I can't tell it even to you because I can't tell it well enough yet。 I've a feeling that there's only one way to tell itand I don't know the way yet。 Some day I'll know itand then I'll tell you； Bev。〃
Long； long after she kept her word。 Forty years later I wrote to her； across the leagues of land and sea that divided us； and told her that Jasper Dale was dead； and I reminded her of her old promise and asked its fulfilment。 In reply she sent me the written love story of Jasper Dale and Alice Reade。 Now； when Alice sleeps under the whispering elms of the old Carlisle churchyard； beside the husband of her youth； that story may be given； in all its old…time sweetness； to the world。
CHAPTER XXV
THE LOVE STORY OF THE AWKWARD MAN
（Written by the Story Girl）
Jasper Dale lived alone in the old homestead which he had named Golden Milestone。 In Carlisle this giving one's farm a name was looked upon as a piece of affectation； but if a place must be named why not give it a sensible name with some meaning to it？ Why Golden Milestone； when Pinewood or Hillslope or； if you wanted to be very fanciful； Ivy Lodge； might be had for the taking？
He had lived alone at Golden Milestone since his mother's death； he had been twenty then and he was close upon forty now； though he did not look it。 But neither could it be said that he looked young； he had never at any time looked young with common youth； there had always been something in his appearance that stamped him as different from the ordinary run of men； and； apart from his shyness； built up an intangible； invisible barrier between him and his kind。 He had lived all his life in Carlisle； and all the Carlisle people knew of or about himalthough they thought they knew everythingwas that he was painfully； abnormally shy。 He never went anywhere except to church； he never took part in Carlisle's simple social life； even with most men he was distant and reserved； as for women； he never spoke to or looked at them； if one spoke to him； even if she were a matronly old mother in Israel； he was at once in an agony of painful blushes。 He had no friends in the sense of companions； to all outward appearance his life was solitary and devoid of any human interest。
He had no housekeeper； but his old house； furnished as it had been in his mother's lifetime； was cleanly and daintily kept。 The quaint rooms were as free from dust and disorder as a woman could have had them。 This was known； because Jasper Dale occasionally had his hired man's wife； Mrs。 Griggs； in to scrub for him。 On the morning she was expected he betook himself to woods and fields； returning only at night…fall。 During his absence Mrs。 Griggs was frankly wont to explore the house from cellar to attic； and her report of its condition was always the same〃neat as wax。〃 To be sure； there was one room that was a