d it had been five miles long instead of a mile
and a half. It gave him an opportunity to show his helpful, considerate
spirit. It was necessary to take her hand to help her over the bad
spots, and either the bad spots increased as they went on, or Irene
was deceived about it. What makes a path of this sort so perilous to a
woman's heart? Is it because it is an excuse for doing what she longs to
do? Taking her hand recalled the day on the rocks at Narragansett, and
the nervous clutch of her little fingers, when the footing failed, sent
a delicious thrill through her lover. King thought himself quite in love
with Forbes--there was the warmest affection between the two--but when
he hauled the artist up a Catskill cliff there wasn't the least of this
sort of a thrill in the grip of hands. Perhaps if women had the ballot
in their hands all this nervous fluid would disappear out of the world.

At Jordan Pond boats were waiting. It is a pretty fresh-water pond
between high sloping hills, and twin peaks at the north end give it even
picturesqueness. There are a good many trout in it--at least that is the
supposition, for the visitors very seldom get them out. When the boats
with their chattering passengers had pushed out into the lake and
accomplished a third of the voyage, they were met by a skiff containing
the faithful chaperons Mrs. Simpkins and Mr. Meigs. They hailed, but
Mr. King, who was rowing his boat, did not slacken speed. "Are you much
tired, Miss Benson?" shouted Mr. Meigs. King didn't like this assumption
of protection. "I've brought you a shawl."

"Hang his paternal impudence!" growled King, under his breath, as he
threw himself back with a jerk on the oars that nearly sent Irene over
the stern of the boat.

Evidently the boat-load, of which the Ashley girls and Mr. Van Dusen
were a part, had taken the sense of this little comedy, for immediately
they struck up:

"For he is going to marry Yum-Yum--
Yum-Yum!
For he is going to marry Yum-Yum--
Yum-Yum!"

This pleasantry passed entirely over the head of Irene, who had not
heard the "Mikado," but King accepted it as a good omen, and forgave its
impudence. It set Mr. Meigs thinking that he had a rival.

At the landing, however, Mr. Meigs was on hand to help Irene out, and
a presentation of Mr. King followed. Mr. Meigs was polite even to
cordiality, and thanked him for taking such good care of her. Men will
make such blu