, changing her position
beneath the lace with the swift suppleness of a kitten. "And what luck
hunting?" she asked, as she loosened the ribbon at her throat.

"I killed a smashing big buck," he declared with boyish enthusiasm.

She buried her head once more among the lace pillows and ran one hand
through her wealth of hair.

"So you intend to stay up there all summer?" in the same half playful,
half sneering tone.

"No, dear; I intend to buy a tract of land and build a house, or camp,
that will house you properly."

This last came as a distinct shock, but she did not waver.

"And your decision is final, I suppose," she returned, as she
readjusted her rings. "And when will this be?" she added.

"As soon as I can get the title deeds--not later than a month at the
outside. Would you like me to tell you about the country?"

She shrugged her shoulders, raising herself among the pillows.

"No, I shouldn't know anything more about it."

"But you haven't the slightest idea what Big Shanty Brook is like,"
he said with conviction--"a superb wilderness, an unbroken forest.
Imagine a--"

She raised her hand with a bored little laugh.

"Now, Sam, dear, don't," she protested. "I hate long descriptions of
places; besides, I can imagine it perfectly--a muddy old stream with
a lot of sad looking trees sticking about in a wilderness miles away
from any human being anyone in his or her right mind would ever care
to see. As for your Holcomb and the other two tramps, they would
simply bore me to death."

The assumed tenderness in her voice had vanished now. After all
she had not changed. What he had supposed was a return of the old
cameraderie was but another of her covert sneers.

She drew her knees up under the embroidered coverlid, resting her
chin firmly upon them, and for some moments gazed in dogged silence in
front of her, with half-closed eyes.

"Then you have settled the matter," she said at length, without
looking up.

"Yes," he replied. "You have known for years that I have longed for
just such a place; now I'm going to have it."

She raised herself on her elbow and looked straight at him.

"Then you'll have it to yourself," she burst out, "and you'll live in
it without me; do you understand? You and Margaret can have whatever
you want up there together, but you'll count me out. Oh, you need not
go out of your head," she cried, noticing his sudden anger.

Thayor sprang from his chair, all his anger in his