h, when the far-off click of a gate attracted his attention,
and still holding the branch he peeped cautiously through the brambles.

The next minute a tall, massive young woman in a white sun-bonnet came
into view-actually a white sun-bonnet, such as a milkmaid or farming
wench might have worn; but this was no rustic lass who walked so
briskly through the woodlands--none but Elizabeth Templeton moved with
that free, graceful step, or carried her head in that queenly fashion.

In his hiding-place Malcolm had a good view of her face. Her eyes were
bright, and she had a soft smile on her lips, as though some thought
pleased her--some dream's dream that seemed fair to her inward vision.

"Miss Templeton--" then Elizabeth gave a great start, and stood still
and looked up at him. "Wait a moment, please," he continued hurriedly;
"this branch is so tough and my knife is small. There, I have secured
it;" and then, waving the festoon of honeysuckle triumphantly, he
scrambled down the bank and stood beside her.

Elizabeth shook hands with him rather gravely.

"So you have taken up your quarters at the Crow's Nest," she observed
as they walked on together.

"Yes, I came down last evening, and settled in with all my goods and
chattels. I thought I was in the Garden of Eden when I woke this
morning and saw all those pink and white roses nid-nodding their
beautiful heads at me."

"Oh, I remember how the roses clambered into the room," returned
Elizabeth in an interested tone.

"Yes, and the birds seemed as though they wanted to get up a sort of
Handel Festival, only the prima donnas and the big guns were missing.
But there was plenty of twittering and bird chatter--I think they were
settling the solos."

Elizabeth laughed--she was always amused at Mr. Herrick's nonsense.

"I have begun by enjoying myself immensely," he went on. "I have eaten
a record breakfast and smoked two pipes, and now I have picked all this
honeysuckle and met you"--a slight emphasis on the last word. "To tell
you the truth, Miss Templeton"--and here he looked at her with a
pleasant smile--"the meeting was not purely accidental, I knew it was
your morning for the schools."

"And you came to meet me?" Elizabeth's manner stiffened; if Malcolm had
been thin-skinned he might have suspected that she was not quite
pleased at this avowal.

"Yes, I was anxious to meet you." Malcolm spoke with quiet assurance.
"There is something I wanted to tell you--if I