doctor had wondered how Jane Aydelot could
have given Leigh up at all. She was such a happy prattler, such an honest,
straightforward little body, such an innocent child, and, withal, so
loving that Carey lost his own heart before the first half day was ended.
In her little gray wool gown and her gray cap with its scarlet quill above
her golden hair, she was as dainty and pretty as a picture of childhood
could be.

Down on the Grass River trail, the two came upon Thaine Aydelot trudging
in from some errand to a distant neighbor, and the doctor hailed him at
once.

"Come, ride with us. We'll take you home," he said, turning the wheel for
Thaine's convenience. "This is Leigh Shirley, who is coming to live with
her uncle, Jim. You'll like to go to the Cloverdale Ranch more than ever
now."

Thaine was only a little country boy, unused to conventionalities, so he
took Leigh on her face value at once. And Leigh, honest as she was
innocent, returned the compliment. At the Sunflower Ranch, Carey drew rein
to let Thaine leave them. Leigh, putting both arms about the little boy's
neck, kissed him good-by, saying: "I have known you always because you are
the Thaine"--she caught her breath, and added: "You must come to my uncle
Jim's and see me."

"I will, I will," Thaine assured her.

Doctor Carey looked back to wave good-by just in time to see Virginia
Aydelot coming toward Thaine, who stood watching the buggy. Instantly the
pretty face of Jane Aydelot came to his mind, her face as she had looked
on the night when they sat by the wood fire in the Aydelot farmhouse.
Against that picture stood the reality of Virginia with her richer
coloring.

"Nor storm nor stress can rob her of her beauty," he thought. "However
sweet and self-sacrificing Jane Aydelot may be, the Plains would have
broken her long ago."

He turned about at once and came back to where Thaine stood beside his
mother.

"This is Jim Shirley's little girl, Mrs. Aydelot," he said, gently patting
Leigh's shoulder.

"That's my wife," little Thaine said gravely. "We will go and live at the
purple notches when I come home from the war."

Virginia's heart warmed toward the motherless little one, and Leigh
understood her at once. Nor once in all the years that followed did the
two fail each other.

The Cloverdale homestead never had known such a gala fixing as Jim Shirley
had kept there for nearly a week awaiting the doctor's return. Truly, love
is genius in it