range noises
his led horse made, little snorts which made her jump. But in the end
she put out a timid hand and stroked the velvet nose. When finally Bud
Lee lifted his hat to her at the base of the knoll upon which the house
stood Marcia thanked him for his kindness.

"I've been terribly unconventional, haven't I?" she smiled at him.
"But I mustn't again. Next time we meet, Mr. Lee, I am not even going
to speak to you. Unless," relenting brightly, "you come up to the
house and are properly introduced!"

As she went through the lilacs Lee saw her wave her parasol to him.

XV

JUST A GIRL, AFTER ALL

Three days later Bud Lee learned that Judith Sanford was, after all,
"just a girl, you know"; that at least for once in her life she had
slipped away to be by herself and to cry. He stopped dead in his
tracks when he came unexpectedly upon her, become suddenly awkward,
embarrassed, a moment uncertain, but yielding swiftly to an impulse to
run for it.

"Come here, Bud Lee!" commanded Judith sharply, dabbing at her eyes.
"I want to talk with you."

He was at the Upper End where he had ridden for half a dozen young
horses which were to be taken down into the meadow for their education.
And here she was, on a bench outside the old cabin, indulging herself
in a hearty cry.

"I--I didn't know you were here," he stammered. "I was going to make
some coffee and have lunch here. I do, sometimes. It's a real fine
day, isn't it, Miss Sanford? Nice and warm and--" His voice trailed
off indistinctly.

"Oh, scat!" cried Judith at him, half laughing, still half crying. She
had wiped her eyes but still two big tears, untouched, trembled on her
cheeks. In spite of him Lee couldn't keep his eyes off of them.

"I'm just crying," Judith told him then, with a sudden assumption of
cool dignity which had in it something of defiance. "I've got a right
to, if I want to, haven't I? What do you look at me like that for?"

"Sure," he answered hastily. "It does you good to cry; I know. Great
thing. All ladies do, sometimes----"

Judith sniffed.

"You know all that there is to be known about '_ladies_,' don't you?
In your vast wisdom all you've got to do is lump 'em in one of your
brilliant generalities. That's the man of you!"

"Maybe I'd better go make the coffee?" he suggested hurriedly. "It's
after twelve. And it'll do you good. A nice hot cup."

"Maybe you had," said Judith icily. "Perhaps I can postpon