to Imogen:--

"These canyons do have the most extraordinary echoes. There's the
strangest cooing and sibilating going on above."

"Wood pigeons, most probably; there are heaps of them hereabout."

Presently the pair from above, slowly climbing down the ravine
hand-in-hand, came upon the pair below, just rising from their seat to
go home. There was a mutual consternation in the four countenances
comical to behold.

"You here!" cried Imogen.

"And _you_ here!" retorted Lionel. "Why, we never suspected it. What
brought you up?--and Carr, too, I declare!"

"Why--oh--it's a pretty place," stammered Imogen. "Theodore--Mr. Carr, I
mean-- Now, Lionel, what _are_ you laughing at?"

"Nothing," said her brother, composing his features as best he could;
"only it's such a very odd coincidence, you know."

"Very odd indeed," remarked Dorry, gravely. The four looked at one
another solemnly and questioningly, and then--it was impossible to help
it--all four laughed.

"By Jove!" cried Lionel, between his paroxysms, "I do believe we have
all come up here on the same errand!"

"I dare say we have," remarked Dorry; "there were some extremely queer
echoes that came down to us from above."

"Not a bit queerer, I assure you, than some which floated up to us from
below," retorted Johnnie, recovering her powers of speech.

"We thought it was doves."

"And we were sure it was ghosts,--affectionate ghosts, you know, on
excellent terms with each other."

"Young, I want a word with you," said Dorry, drawing Lionel aside.

"And I want a word with you."

"And I want several words with you," cried Johnnie, brightly, putting
her arm through Imogen's. She looked searchingly at her.

"I'm going to be your sister," she said; "I've promised Lionel. Are you
going to be mine?"

"Yes,--I've promised Theodore--"

"Theodore!" cried Johnnie, with a world of admiration in her voice.
"Oh, you mean Dorry. We never call him that, you know."

"Yes, I know, but I prefer Theodore. Dorry seems a childish sort of name
for a grown man. Do you mean to say that you are coming out to the
Valley to live?"

"Yes, by-and-by, and you will come to Burnet; we shall just change
places. Isn't it nice and queer?"

"It is a sort of double-barrelled International Alliance," declared
Lionel. "Now let us go down and astonish the others."

The others _were_ astonished indeed. They were prepared for Johnnie's
confession, but had so little thought of Dorry's th