a flutter of excitement as her cavalier's strength took
her by delighted surprise and off her feet. They rode away through the
thinning shadows. Mrs. Gaynor, despite the earliness of the hour, went
straight to her husband, awoke him mercilessly, and told him everything.

"Oh," he said when she had done and he had turned over for another hour
or so of sleep, "that's all right. Mark told me about it last night."

"And you didn't say a word to me!"

"Forgot," said Ben. "But don't worry. Mark'll take care of her."

She left him to his innocent slumbers and began dressing. Already she
was busied with planning just what to say and how to say it; Gloria
knew, she thought with some complacency, that her mother could be
depended upon in any situation demanding the delicate touch. She would
be about, cool and smiling, when the first guest appeared; it would be
supposed that she and Gloria and Mr. King had been quite a merry trio as
the morning adventure was being arranged. That first guest stirring
would be Mr. Gratton on hand to pounce on Gloria and get her out of the
house for a run down to the lake, a dash in a canoe, or a brief stroll
across the meadow before the breakfast-gong. Instead of Gloria's terse
message for him, she had quite an elaborate and laughing tale to tell.
After all, Gloria usually did know what she was about, and if Mr.
Gratton meant all that he looked--Mrs. Gaynor had cast up a rough draft
of everything she would say that morning before she opened the door to
go downstairs. And for reasons very clear to her and which she had no
doubt would be viewed with equal clarity by Gloria after this "escapade"
of hers was done with, she meant to be very tactful indeed with Mr.
Gratton.

* * * * *

Never had Mark King known pleasanter companionship than Gloria Gaynor
afforded this bright morning. They passed up the trail, over the first
ridge, dropped down into a tiny wild little valley, and had the world
all alone to themselves. Only now was the sun up, and there in the
mountains, blazing forth cheerily, it seemed to shine for them alone.
When they rode side by side Gloria chatted brightly, athrill with
animation, vivid with her rioting youth. When the narrow trail demanded
and she rode ahead, bright little snatches of lilting song or broken
exclamations floated back to the man whose eyes shone with his enjoyment
of her. On every hand this was all a bright new world to her; she ha