ready, bundles and the
rest--until we see."

Seth's optimism annoyed her, but she felt encouraged when, after
breakfast, she stepped out on the veranda and met the cold and
quarrelsome day. A rough blast struck her in the face; she saw a
ragged drift of clouds torn by the wind; and the whole landscape
seemed to have undergone a melancholy change. Dispirited beyond
measure, despite the one satisfaction that the weather gave, she
re-entered the house, and sank uneasily into an armchair by the fire.

But Seth's prediction was justified. Toward ten o'clock the wind
ceased, and patches of blue began to show in the blanket of gray.
Claire shared Marion's disinclination to go shooting on such a day (or
any other kind of a day, for her part!), and they stood at the window
actually deploring the blue rents in the clouds, when Marion uttered a
sharp exclamation of surprise.

"Smythe!" she gasped.

"On a day like this!" cried Claire.

He had dismounted quickly, and was walking toward the house; and as he
neared the steps Marion saw in his face what caused her to press her
hand on her bosom to still her heart. Something had happened! And she
had known it all the time--had known it even in her sleep!

Claire ran to the door and opened it.

"Well, Mr. Smythe!" she cried. "You're just in time to cheer us up.
We're deep in the mulligrubs."

He entered smiling, removing his sombrero with his customary flourish.
But as he advanced he shot a swift, keen look at Marion.

"Something's happened!" she repeated to herself.

But she came forward with a smile, and shook hands with Smythe,
searching his face. And he was warning her again. She could have
shrieked with impatience and anxiety, but she held herself, and
waited.

"A terrible night, wasn't it?" said Claire, giving Smythe a chair.

"Terrific!" replied he. "You know the big pine that hung over the road
just this side of Toumine's? Well, it's down, right across the road. I
had to ride around it, up among the underbrush."

"I didn't sleep at all, and I'm used to winds, too," said Claire.

"It got me up at daylight," Smythe went on. "It didn't look like much
of a day for riding, but I got nervous sitting around listening to my
good landlady--one of the young Martins is threatened with something
or other--and started out to see how the landscape had been changed.
There are trees down everywhere, and--" He paused. "What are you doing
this morning, Miss Gaylord?" he asked, v