t not pass; as Sanchia's anger
rose the two lovers looked into each other's eyes and laughed. Again
Sanchia bit her lips and sat back.

'Dear old pops,' said Helen, going to her father's side and slipping
both arms about his neck, ruffling his scant hair and otherwise making
free with his passive person, thereby achieving the dual result of
coming between him and Sanchia and giving a joyous outlet to a new
emotion. 'I am not going to leave you, after all. And the West is the
nicest country in the world, too. And Alan and I were wrong to run off
and leave you as we did. We'll stay right with you now, and it will be
so much jollier that way; won't it, Mrs. Murray?'

Longstreet patted her hand; Sanchia Murray measured her anew.

'And I too,' ran on Helen, 'must take more interest in your work, your
books. Now that we live right on the spot where the things are, the
strata and eroded canons and--and relics of monster upheavals and
fossils of the Pliocene age and all that--it will be so much fun to
study about them, all together. Alan thinks so, I'm sure. Don't you
agree, Mrs. Murray?'

Helen's eyes were dancing, Longstreet imagined with newly inspired
interest, Alan knew with the light of battle; Sanchia's eyes were
angry. The girl had stated her plan of campaign as though in so many
words. If time came when Longstreet had a second golden secret to
tell, she meant to hear it and to have Alan hear it at least not an
instant later than Mrs. Murray; thereafter, with odds two to one
against the widow, they should see what they would see.

Sanchia did much thinking and little talking. She remained an hour.
During the last half-hour she developed a slight but growingly
insistent cough. Before she left she had drawn the desired query from
Longstreet. Oh, hadn't he noticed before? It had been coming on her
for a month. The doctors were alarmed for her--but she smiled bravely.
They had even commanded that she move away from the dust and noise of a
town; that she pitch a tent somewhere on the higher lands and live
out-doors all of the time. Helen saw what was coming before the actual
words were spoken. It was Longstreet who was finally led to extend the
invitation! Why didn't she move into a tent near them? And with a
look in which gratitude seemed blurred in a mist of tears, Sanchia
accepted. She would move to-morrow and pitch her tent right up there
near the spring.

'If you don't mind, Helen dear?' she s