But nothing ever happens just as you imagine it will, as Pat had many times discovered. A week later came the bolt from the blue. Brook wrote that the manager of the Chinese branch had suddenly died. It had become absolutely necessary for him to start for China at once instead of next year. Would Rae go with him?

Of course Rae would go with him. It meant a marriage at three days’ notice, but what of that?

“You…can’t,” gasped Pat.

They were sitting in the hay-mow of the church barn, having discovered that it was about the only place where they were safe from May or some prowling Binnie coming down on them. The fragrance of dried clover was around them and an arrogant orange-gold barn cat sat on a rafter and looked at them out of mysterious jewel-like eyes.

“I can and will,” said Rae resolutely. “Lily Robinson will take the school and be thankful to get it. We won’t bother with a wedding cake.”

“Rae, do you want Judy to drop dead! Of course we’ll have a wedding cake. It won’t have time to ripen as good wedding cake should but in all else it shall be the weddingest cake ever seen. But what about your dress?”

“Will it be possible to have a white dress, Pat…a white satin dress? I’m old-fashioned…I’m Victorian…I want to be married in a white satin dress. I love satin.”

“We’ll make it possible,” said Pat. Forthwith she and Rae and Judy and mother went into committee on the subject. Pat and Rae hustled off to town for the dress…Inez Macaulay came to make it and sewed for dear life. Mother, who hadn’t done such a thing for years, declared she would make the cake.

“Oh, oh, and she do be the lady as can do it,” said Judy. “All the Bay Shore girls cud make fruit-cake to the quane’s taste.”

Judy pleaded for “just a liddle wedding.” They could have the aunts and uncles and cousins surely. But nobody agreed with her.

“We can’t have all the two clans, and since we can’t have all we must have none. No, Judy, Brook and I are just going to be married here with you home folks looking on.”

Judy had to reconcile herself. But she shook her grizzled head. Times indeed were changed at Silver Bush when one of its daughters could be married off like this.

“Sure and I fale ould and done,” said Judy…looking cautiously about, however, to make sure nobody heard her.

“You’ve taken your own time about telling me,” said May with a toss of her head when Pat informed her that Rae was to be married.

“We’ve only known it for twenty-four hours ourselves,” said Pat. May, however, was determined to be sulky. Nevertheless, there were times when Judy surprised a smug look on her face.