the crowd, when Leslie Graham, in a
bewitching white cap and tiny apron, caught his arm.

"Don't run away!" she cried, "I was told to fetch you to Uncle Will, he
wants to meet you. If he's going to make a Yankee out of you, see that
you resist him strenuously."

"One American in your family is enough, isn't it, Les?" said Anna
Baldwin, her big black eyes staring very innocently at Roderick.

Roderick blushed like a girl, but Leslie Graham laughed delightedly.

"Isn't Anna shocking?" she asked, glancing coyly at Roderick, as they
moved back through the crowd. But he did not hear her, and she was
surprised at a sudden light that sprang to his eyes. She looked in
their direction, and saw Helen Murray in a blue gown and a white cap
and apron. She was standing in the doorway leading to the kitchen.

Madame was talking to her and the girl's usually grave face was
animated and lighted with a lovely smile. Leslie Graham looked at her
then back swiftly to Roderick. There was a look in his eyes she had
never seen there before. The old suspicion roused the night she had
seen him help Miss Murray out of his canoe returned. Her gay chatter
suddenly ceased. She presented Roderick to her uncle and quickly
turned away and was lost in the crowd.

Roderick scarcely noticed that she had gone, he was wondering if the
summer holidays were to be spent in Algonquin after all, and then he
noticed that the man he had been anxious to meet was shaking his hand.
"I'm glad to see Angus McRae's son!" the big man was saying. "Yes,
yes, I'd know you by your father. And how is he? I must see him
before I leave. Sandy's been telling me about your work here. And Ed
too. Do you intend to settle in Algonquin?"

"I hope not, sir, not permanently at least."

"That's right. Algonquin's a fine place to have in the background of
one's life, but it's rather small for any expansion. Did you know I've
had an eye on you since you were up north last winter?"

"On me?" cried Roderick amazed.

"Yes, just on you." The portly figure shook with a good humoured
amusement at the young man's modest amazement. "I heard about you from
my brother and then from Kent. Let me see, I suppose there will be
high doings all day to-day. What about to-morrow? Could I see you for
a little talk to-morrow morning?"

Roderick set the hour for the appointment, silently wondering. His
heart was throbbing with expectation, vague, wonderful. Some great
even