They walked up Main Street, Martie glancing up from under her shabby hat with happy blue eyes, Rodney sauntering contentedly at her side.

How much he knew, how much he had done, the girl thought, with an ache of hopeless admiration.  Almost every sentence opened a new vista of his experience and her ignorance.  She did not suspect that he meant it to be so; she only felt dazzled by the easy, glancing references he made to men and books and places.

They stopped at the railroad track to watch the eastward-bound train thunder by.  Five hours out of San Francisco, its passengers looked quite at home in the big green upholstered seats.  Bored women looked idly out upon little Monroe, half-closed magazines in their hands.  Card-playing men did not glance up as the village flashed by.  On the platform of the observation car the usual well-wrapped girl and pipe-smoking young man were carrying on the usual flirtation.  Martie saw the train nearly every day, but never without a thrill.  She said to herself, “New York!” as a pilgrim might murmur of Mecca or of Heaven.

“That’s a good train,” said Rodney.  “Let’s see, this is Wednesday.  They’ll be in New York Sunday night.  Awful place on Sunday—­no theatres, no ball games, no drinks—­”

“I could manage without theatres or ball games,” Martie laughed.  “But I must have my whisky!”

“It sounded as if I meant that, but you know me!” he laughed back.  “Lord, how I’d like to show you New York.  Wouldn’t you love it!  Broadway—­well, it’s a wonder!  There’s something doing every minute.  You’d love the theatres—­”

“I know I would!” Martie assented, glowing.

“My aunt lives there; she has an apartment right on the Park, at West Ninetieth,” Rodney said.  “Her husband has scads of money,” the boy pursued.  “You’ll have to go on, Martie, there’s no two ways about it.”

“And Delmonico’s?” the girl suggested eagerly.  “I’ve heard of Delmonico’s!”

“Delmonico’s is where the wedding parties go.  Of course, if you say so, Martie—­”

That was one of the sweet and thrilling things to remember.  And there were other things to make Martie’s heart dance as she set the dinner table.  But she wondered if she should have asked him in.

Martie stopped short, salt-cellars in her hand.  How could she—­with Pa’s arrival possible at any moment.  Besides she had asked him, as they lingered laughing at the gate.  That was all right—­it was late, anyway.  He had gaily refused, and she had not pressed him.  And, wonderful thought, they were going walking on Sunday.

Monroe boys and girls usually walked on Sunday.  They walked up the track to the Junction, or up between bare fields past the Poor House to the Cemetery.  When a young man hired a phaeton at Beetman’s, and took his girl for a drive on Sunday, it was a definite avowal of serious attachment.  In that case they usually had their Sunday supper at the home of the young man’s mother, or married sister, or with some female relative whose sanction upon their plans was considered essential.