or chilled the gaiety of the evening and halted the rush of the fun
till the hostess gave up in despair and no longer opposed the departure
of her guests.

"Mr. McPherson," she said, as that gentleman came to bid her good-night,
"I am quite cross with you. You made us all feel so blue and serious
that you quite spoiled our bonfire."

"I wish it were only I that had spoiled it, Mrs. Rushbrooke," said Mr.
McPherson gravely. "But even your graceful hospitality to-night, which
has never been excelled even by yourself at the Lake of the Woods, could
not make us forget, and God forgive us if we do forget."

"Oh, Mr. McPherson," persisted Mrs. Rushbrooke, in a voice that strove
to be gaily reproachful, "we must not become pessimistic. We must be
cheerful even if we are at war."

"Thank you for that word," said the minister solemnly. "It is a true
word and a right word, and it is a word we shall need to remember more
and more."

"The man would drive me mad," said Mrs. Rushbrooke to Mr. Murray as
they watched the boats away. "I am more than thankful that he is not my
clergyman."

"Yes, indeed," said her husband, who stood near her and shared her
feelings of disappointment. "It seems to me he takes things far too
seriously."

"I wonder," said Dr. Brown, who stood with Mr. Murray preparatory to
taking his departure. "I wonder if we know just how serious this thing
is. I frankly confess, Mr. Rushbrooke, that my mind has been in an
appalling condition of chaos this afternoon; and every hour the thing
grows more terrible as I think of it. But as you say, we must cheer up."

"Surely we must," replied Rushbrooke impatiently. "I am convinced this
war will soon be over. In three months the British navy together with
the armies of their allies will wind this thing up."

Through a wonder world of moonlit waterways and dark, mysterious
channels, around peninsulas and between islands, across an open traverse
and down a little bay, they took their course until Jim had them safely
landed at their own dock again. The magic beauty of the white light upon
wooded island and gleaming lake held them in its spell for some minutes
after they had landed till Mrs. Murray came down from the bungalow to
meet them.

"Safe back again," she cried with an all too evident effort to be
cheery. "How lovely the night is, and how peaceful! James," she said in
a low voice, turning to her husband, "I wish you would go to Isabel. I
cannot get her to slee