ddle his memory. And so, for the life of me,
I can't seem to conjure up a desirable form of address from you to me
except Philip. And Philip," he added humbly, "isn't really such a bad
sort of name after all."

There was the whir and flash of a bird's wing in the forest the color
of Diane's cheek. An instant later the single vivid spot of crimson in
Philip's line of vision was the back of his lady's sweater.

CHAPTER XII

A BULLET IN ARCADIA

"It's time you were in bed," said Diane. "Johnny's out staring at the
moon and that's the final chore of the evening. Besides, it's nine
o'clock."

"I shan't go to bed," Philip protested. "Johnny spread this tarpaulin
by the fire expressly for me to recline here and think and smoke and
b'jinks! I'm going to! After buying me two shirts yesterday and
tobacco to-day--to say nothing of bringing home an unknown chicken for
invalid stew, I can't with decency offend him."

"I can't see why he's taken such a tremendous shine to you!" complained
Diane mockingly.

"Nor I!" agreed Philip, knocking the ashes from his pipe.

"You've been filling his pockets with money!" accused Diane
indignantly. "It's the only explanation of the demented way he trots
around after you."

"Disposition, beauty, singular grace and common sense all pale in the
face of the ulterior motive," Philip modestly told his pipe. "What a
moon!" he added softly. "Great guns, what a moon!"

Beyond, through the dark of the trees, softly silvered by the moon
above the ridge, glimmered the river, winding along by peaceful forest
and meadows edged with grass and mint. There was moon-bright dew upon
the clover and high upon the ridge a tree showed dark and full against
the moon in lonely silhouette. It was an enchanted wood of moonlit
depth and noisy quiet, of shrilling crickets, the plaintive cries of
tree frogs, the drowsy crackle of the camp fire, or the lap of water by
the shore, with sometimes the lonely hoot of an owl.

"A while back," mused Diane innocently, "there was a shooting star
above the ridge--"

"Yes?" said Philip puffing comfortably at his pipe.

"I meant to call your attention to it but 'Hey!' and 'Look!' were
dreadfully abrupt."

"There is always--'Philip!'" insinuated that young man. Diane bit her
lip and relapsed into silence.

"You didn't tell me," said Philip presently, "whether or not you found
any more flowers this morning."

"Only heaps of wild blackberry," Diane re