esolution.

"Those lamp-shades, Mr. Carey," she said. "I'm sorry I'm so late. You
must have thought I was never coming. In fact"--the colour was returning
to her face, and her smile became more natural--"I thought so myself a
few minutes ago. Let us set to work at once!"

Toby burst into a rude whoop of admiration and flung a ball of string
into the air.

"Miss Eversley, well done! Well done!" he gasped. "You--you deserve a
V.C.!"

"Indeed I don't," she returned. "I have been running away hard."

"Tell us all about it, Miss Eversley!" urged one of her listeners. "You
have been across the Frontier, now, haven't you? What happened? Someone
tried to snipe you from afar?"

But Miss Eversley refused to be communicative. "I am much too busy," she
said, "to discuss anything so unimportant. Come, Mr. Carey, the
lamp-shades!"

Toby bore her off in triumph to inspect his works of art. There was a
good deal of understanding in Toby's head despite its curls which he
kept so resolutely cropped. He attended to business without a hint of
surprise or inattention. And he was presently rewarded for his good
behaviour.

Averil, raising her eyes for a moment from one of the shades which she
was tacking together while he held it in shape, said presently:

"A very peculiar thing happened to me this morning, Mr. Carey."

"Yes?" he replied, trying to keep the note of expectancy out of his
voice.

Averil nodded gravely. "I crossed the Frontier," she said, "and rode
into the mountains. I thought I heard a child crying. I lost my way and
fell among thieves."

"Yes?" said Toby again. He looked up, frankly interested this time.

"I was shot at," she resumed. "It was my own fault, of course. I
shouldn't have gone. My brother-in-law warned me very seriously against
going an inch beyond the Frontier only last night. Well, one buys one's
experience. I certainly shall never go again, not for a hundred wailing
babies."

"Probably a bird," remarked Toby practically.

"Probably," assented Averil, equally practical. "To continue: I didn't
know what to do. I was horribly frightened. I had lost my bearings. And
then out of the very midst of my enemies there came a friend."

"Ah!" said Toby quickly. "The right sort?"

"There is only one sort," she said, with a touch of dignity.

"And what did he do?" said Toby, with eager interest.

"He simply took my bridle and ran by my side till we were out of
danger," Averil said, a sudden soft glo