of affectation, "and you probably
know who I am, so we will need no introduction."

"Yes, Miss Underwood," said Darrell, smiling into the beautiful brown
eyes, "I would have recognized you anywhere from your picture."

"And you have Trix, haven't you?" she exclaimed, turning to caress the
mare. "Dear old Trix! Just let her go, Mr. Darrell; she will go to the
stables of her own accord and Bennett will take care of her; that was
the way Harry taught her. Go find Bennett, Trix!"

They watched Trix follow the driveway and disappear around the corner,
then both turned towards the house.

"Auntie is out just now," said the girl; "she had to go down town, but I
am expecting her back every minute. Will you go into the house, Mr.
Darrell, or do you prefer a seat on the veranda?"

"The veranda looks inviting; suppose we sit here," Darrell suggested.

They had reached the steps leading to the entrance. On the top step the
collie had seated himself and was now awaiting their approach with the
air of one expecting due recognition.

"Mr. Darrell," said the young girl, with a merry little laugh, "allow me
to present you to His Highness, the Duke of Argyle!"

The collie gave his head a slight backward toss, and, with great
dignity, extended his right paw to Darrell, which the latter, instantly
entering into the spirit of the joke, took, saying, with much gravity,--

"I am pleased to meet His Highness!"

The girl's brown eyes danced with enjoyment.

"You have made a friend of him for life, now," she said as they seated
themselves, Duke stationing himself at her side in such a manner as to
show his snow-white vest and great double ruff to the best possible
advantage. "He is a very aristocratic dog, and if any one fails to show
him what he considers proper respect, he is greatly affronted."

"He certainly is a royal-looking fellow," said Darrell, "but I cannot
imagine how you ever gained Mrs. Dean's consent to his presence here.
You must possess even more than the ordinary powers of feminine
persuasion."

"Aunt Marcia?" laughed the girl; "oh, well, you see it was a case of
'love me, love my dog.' Wherever I go, Duke must go, so auntie had to
submit to the inevitable."

Darrell found the situation far less embarrassing than he had expected.
His young companion, with keen, womanly intuition, had divined something
of his feeling, and tactfully avoiding any allusion to their previous
meeting, of which he had no recollection, k