ners, banquets
and the most recherche lunches, on the one hand, were evenly balanced
by cards to receptions, soirees and afternoon teas, on the other. Had
he passed heart-whole through all these sieges, only to fall a victim,
here and now?

He had admired Miss Gladden from the first; then, in their mutual
sympathy for Lyle, they had been drawn closer together, and since that
time,--yes, he could see it all now.

Of Miss Gladden herself he knew very little, except that she was a
true, noble woman; he needed no words to tell him that. Rutherford had
learned from conversation with her, that she was an orphan, and had
been traveling with friends because her home was made unpleasant by
some of her relatives; and both had judged that she was probably, in
a measure, dependent upon wealthy relatives.

This much Houston did know, however, that he loved Leslie Gladden,
that she was worthy of his love, and that life without her would not
seem worth the living. He believed that she loved him, and his heart
thrilled with the thought, that if so, it was for himself, not his
wealth, that she cared. Before he reached the house, his mind was
fully decided:

"I love her for herself," he soliloquized, "not caring whether she is
rich or poor, and I believe she does, or will, love me in like manner.
In any event, I must learn my fate before the arrival of my uncle."

As Houston approached the house, Miss Gladden and Lyle were standing
together in the porch. He greeted both ladies with even more than his
usual courtesy, but as his eyes met those of Miss Gladden, there was
that in his glance, which in itself, was a declaration of his love for
her. Lyle, with her quick intuition, read the meaning, and with her
natural sense of delicacy, as quickly withdrew, leaving them together.
For an instant, Miss Gladden's eyes dropped before Houston's glance,
while a lovely color suffused her cheek; then she raised her eyes,
meeting his with an answering glance, and in that mutual recognition,
though no word was spoken, they knew that they were lovers, and that
was enough for the present.

Of late, the four friends had spent much time together; sometimes
climbing the mountains, to watch from their lofty summits the setting
sun, slowly descending amid clouds of flame, whose glowing colors were
reflected from the surrounding peaks in ever varying tints; the rose
changing to amethyst and violet, and the violet deepening to purple;
while far below, th