xpress it, and felt that it was not quite safe anyhow, so he remained
discreetly silent.

By mutual, though unspoken impulse, they stopped under the shade of a
big tree up on the lawn, and waited for the couple who had been found
in the delicate situation either to reappear on the way back to the
house, or to emerge at the other end of the path on the way to the
bowling shed. It was scarcely three minutes when they reappeared on
the way back to the house, and both watchers felt an instant thrill of
relief, for the two were by no means lover-like in their attitudes.
Billy had hold of Miss Josephine's arm and was helping her up the
slope, but their shoulders were not touching in the process, nor were
arms clasped closely against sides. They passed by the big tree
unseeing, then, as they neared the house, without a word, they parted.
Miss Stevens proceeded toward the porch, and stopped to take a
handkerchief from her sleeve and pass it carefully and lightly over her
face. Billy Westlake strode off a little way toward the bowling shed,
stopped and lit a cigarette, took two or three puffs, started on,
stopped again, then threw the cigarette to the ground with quite
unnecessary vigor, and stamped on it. Miss Hastings, without adieus of
any sort, glided swiftly away in the direction of Billy, and then a dim
glimmer of understanding came to Sam Turner that only Miss Stevens had
stood in the way of Miss Hastings' capture of Billy Westlake. He
wasted no time over this thought, however, but strode very swiftly and
determinedly up to Miss Josephine.

"I'm glad to find you alone," he said; "I want to make an explanation."

"Don't bother about it," she told him frigidly. "You owe me no
explanations whatsoever, Mr. Turner."

"I'm going to make them anyhow," he declared. "You saw me twice this
afternoon in utterly asinine situations."

"I remember of no such situations," she stated still frigidly, and
started to move on toward the house.

"But wait a minute," said Sam, catching her by the arm and detaining
her. "You did see me in silly situations, and I want you to know the
facts about them."

"I'm not at all interested," she informed him, now with absolute north
pole iciness, and started to move away again.

He held her more tightly.

"The first time," he went on, "was when Miss Hastings slipped on the
rocks and I had to catch her to keep her from falling."

"Will you kindly let me go, Mr. Turner?" demanded Miss Jo