doors open that showed them two big rooms, both exquisitely
furnished, and both with windows that looked out, first on to a stone
balustrade, and secondly on to a superb view over the river and the
mountains beyond.

The men unstrapped the things and went away, leaving such a plenitude of
comfort behind them as led Jack to fling himself into the most luxurious
chair in the room and stretch his arms and legs far and wide in utter
contentment.

Burnett was fishing for his key ring.

"It's a great old place, isn't it?" he remarked parenthetically. "Great
Scott! but I'll bet we have fun these two days! And if my sister Betty is
here--" He paused expressively.

"Doesn't she live at home?" Jack asked.

"She's just come home; she's been in England for three years. Oh, but I
tell you she's a corker!"

"I should think--"

The sentence was never completed because a voice without the
not-altogether-closed door cried:

"No, don't think, please; let me come in instead." And in the same instant
Burnett made one leap and flung the door open, crying as he did so:

"Betty!"

Then Jack, bunching somewhat his starfish attitude, looked across the room
and realized instantly that it was all up with him forever after.

Because--

Because she who stood there in the door was quite the sweetest, the
loveliest, the most interesting looking girl whom he had ever laid eyes
on; and when she was seized in her brother's arms, and kissed by her
brother's lips, and dragged by her brother's hands well into the room, she
proved to be a thousand times more irresistible than at first.

"I say, Betty, you're absolutely prettier than ever," her brother
exclaimed, holding her a little off from him and surveying her critically;
and then he seemed to remember his friend's existence, and, turning toward
him, announced proudly:

"My sister Bertha."

Jack was standing up now and thinking how lovely her eyes were just at
that instant when they were meeting his for the first time, thinking much
else too. Thinking that Monday was only two days away (hang it!); thinking
that such a smile was never known before; thinking that he had _years_
ahead at college; thinking that the curl on her forehead was simply
distracting (whereas all other like curls were horrid); thinking that he
might cut college and--

"My chum, Jack Denham," Burnett continued, proving in the same instant how
rapidly the mind may work since his friend had compassed his encycloped