outstretched hand to aid her, but, in a breath, not seeing his offer,
she placed her two hands on the horn of the saddle, and from the slight
rise of ground whereon she stood, with one agile spring, landed easily
in the saddle and wheeled about.

"He's been cutting trees to clear a patch for corn, and some way he hurt
his foot, and he's been lying there nigh a week with the misery. Last
evening she sent one of the children for mother, not knowing she was bad
herself, so I went for Aunt Sally; but she was gone, so I rode on to the
Irwins to see could I help. He said he wasn't suffering so much to-day,
and it made my heart just stop to hear that, when he couldn't lift
himself. You see, my stepfather--he--he was shot in the arm, and right
soon when the misery left him, he died, so I didn't say much--but on the
way home I thought of you, and I came here fast. We know so little here
on the mountains," she added sadly, as she looked earnestly down at him.

"You have acted wisely. Just ride on, Miss Cassandra, and I will follow
as soon as--"

"Come down with me now and have dinnah at our place. Then we can start
togethah."

"Thank you, I will. You are more expert in the art of dinner getting
than I am, so we will lose less time." He laughed and was rewarded with
the flash of a grateful smile as she started on without another word.

It took David but a few minutes to select what articles he suspected,
from her account, might be required. He hurried his preparations, and,
being his own groom, stable boy, and man-of-all-work, he was very busy
about it.

As a strain of music or a floating melody will linger in the background
with insistent repetition, while the brain is at the same time busily
occupied with surface affairs, so he found himself repeating some of her
quaint phrases, and seeing her eyes--the wisps of wind-blown hair--and
the smile on her lips, as she turned away, like an accompaniment to all
he was thinking and doing.

Soon, equipped for whatever the emergency might demand, he was at the
widow's door. His horse nickered and stretched out his nose toward
Cassandra's colt as if glad to have once more a little horse
companionship. Side by side they stood, with bridles slipped back and
hung to their saddles, while they crunched contentedly at the corn on
the ear, which Hoyle had brought them.

While at dinner, Cassandra showed David her books, pleased that he
asked to see them. "I brought them to study, should I