ding, pulsating appreciation which can
come to us in youth alone, as his eyes swept the fair prospect of wooded
slope and rugged headland, stream-ribbon, mountain-meadow, billowy
forest. Then, with a deep breath of the wondrous air of the old
Cumberlands, which added a physical exhileration almost intoxicating to
the pleasure of the thoughts which filled his mind, he went slowly up
the rugged twisting path to Madge's cabin. There, standing by the
bridge he called, and, presently, the girl appeared.

He smiled at her. He did not wish to tell her, too quickly, of the news
the letter held.

The girl was still full of the visit and the visitors. They had seemed
to her, reared as she had been in the rough seclusion of the mountains,
like denizens of another, wondrously fine world, come to glimpse her in
her crude one, for a few hours, and then gone back to their own glorious
abiding place.

She did not admit it to herself, but they had left behind them
discontent with the life she knew, her lack of education, almost
everything with which, in days gone by, she had been so satisfied.

Layson, watching her as she approached, was tempted to enjoy her as she
was, for a few minutes, before telling her the news which, young and
inexperienced as he was, he yet knew, instinctively, would change her
for all time.

"Well," he said, "how did you like them, Madge?"

The girl sat upon a stump and looked off across the valley. Her hands
were clasped upon one knee, as she reflected, the fading sunlight
touched her hair with sheening brilliance, her eyes, at first, were
dreamy, happy.

"Oh, I loved your aunt!" said she. "She made me think of my own
mammy.... She made me think of my own mammy."

"And she was quite as much in love with you."

"Was she?... And Cunnel Doolittle! Ain't he _splendid_? And how he do
know hosses! Wouldn't I _love_ to see some of them races that he told
about? Wouldn't I love to have a chance to learn how to become a lady
like your aunt? She's just the sweetest thing that ever lived."

"And ... and ... Miss Barbara?" said Layson, with a little mischief in
his wrinkling eyelids.

The girl shrugged herself together haughtily upon her stump. He had seen
lowlands girls use almost the same gesture when, in drawing-rooms, some
topic had come up which they did not wish to talk about.

"Huh! Her!" said Madge and would have changed the subject had he let
her.

"Really?" he asked, wickedly. "Didn't you like he