up the shuttle of
fancy to weave a wonderful daydream, as beautiful, intangible as the
lacy, summer clouds over her head.

A man rode quietly over the grass and stopped two rods away, that he
might fill his hungry eyes with the delicious loveliness of his Heart's
Desire.

"Got a bite yet?"

Dorman turned and wrinkled his nose, by way of welcome, and shook his
head vaguely, as though he might tell of several unimportant nibbles, if
it were worth the effort.

Beatrice sat a bit straighter, and dexterously whisked some pink ruffles
down over two distracting ankles, and hoped Keith had not taken notice
of them. He had, though; trust a man for that!

Keith dismounted, dropped the reins to the ground, and came and laid
himself down in the grass beside his Heart's Desire, and Beatrice
noticed how tall he was, and slim and strong.

"How did you know we were here?" she wanted to know, with lifted
eyebrows.

Keith wondered if there was a welcome behind that sweet, indifferent
face. He never could be sure of anything in Beatrice's face, because it
never was alike twice, it seemed to him--and if it spoke welcome for
a second, the next there was only raillery, or something equally
unsatisfying.

"I saw you from the trail," he answered promptly, evidently not thinking
it wise to mention the fieldglass. And then: "Is Dick at home?" Not
that he wanted Dick--but a fellow, even when he is in the last stages of
love, feels need of an excuse sometimes.

"No--we women are alone to-day. There isn't a man on the place, except
Looey Sam, and he doesn't count."

Dorman squirmed around till he could look at the two, and his eyebrows
were tied in a knot. "I wish, Be'trice, you wouldn't talk, 'less you
whisper. De fishes won't bite a bit."

"All right, honey--we won't."

Dorman turned back to his fishing with a long breath of relief. His
divinity never broke a promise, if she could help it.

If Dorman Hayes had been Cupid himself, he could not have hit upon a
more impish arrangement than that. To place a girl like Beatrice beside
a fellow like Keith--a fellow who is tall, and browned, and extremely
good-looking, and who has hazel eyes with a laugh in them always--a
fellow, moreover, who is very much in love and very much in earnest
about it--and condemn him to silence, or to whispers!

Keith took advantage of the edict, and moved closer, so that he could
whisper in comfort--and be nearer his Heart's Desire. He lay with his
hea