a dejection.

Other things of Maria Angelina than her soprano were missed, also.

Julia Martin found the popular bachelor decidedly absent-minded. The
crack young polo player thought the scenery disappointing. Decidedly, it
was a dull party.

And the weather was threatening.

So after supper had been disposed of and there had been a bonfire and an
effort at singing about it, a dispirited silence spread until a decent
interval was felt to have elapsed and allowed the suggestion of return.

Once it was suggested everybody seemed ready for the start, even without
the moon, for the path was fairly clear and the men had pocket
flashlights, so down in the dark they started, proceeding cautiously
and gingerly, and accumulating mental reservations about mountains and
mountain climbing until the moon suddenly overtook them and sent a
silvering wash of light into the valley at their feet.

They had gained the main path before the moon deserted them, and the
first of the gusty showers sent them hurrying along in shivering
impatience for the open fires of homes.

"We'll find that pair of short sports toasting their toes and giving us
the laugh," predicted Bob, tramping along, a hand on Ruth's arm now.

Ruth was wearing his huge college sweater over her silk one and felt
indefinably less adventurous and independent than on her upward trip.
Bob seemed very stable, very desirable, as she stumbled wearily on. She
wasn't quite sure what she had wanted to gain time for, that afternoon.
Already the barriers of custom and common-sense were raising their solid
heads.

And Bob was romance, too. It was silly to be unready for surrender. She
realized that if she lost him. . . .

At the Lodge she gave him back a quick look that set him astir.

"Hold on," he called as she broke from him to follow her mother.

The cars from the Martin house party had been left at the Lodge in
readiness and with perfunctory warmth of farewells the tired
mountaineers were hastening either to the Lodge or the motors.

"Here's Johnny's car," he sung out. "He's probably inside----" and Bob
swung hastily after Ruth and her mother.

He was up the steps beside them and opened the door into the wide hall
where a group was lingering about the open fire.

A glance told them Johnny Byrd was not of the company. Bob and Ruth went
to the door of the music room. It was deserted. Mrs. Blair went swiftly
to the clerk's desk at the side entrance.

She came back,