the father
of thoughts that fluttered between these two explanations, and hope was
fed by the conviction that no man who could see her every day if he
chose would behave in this romantic manner.

So upon this evening it happened that when Helen, poised upon her toes
and beating the time of imaginary music with her waving hand, caught
sight of the Baby's white flannels through the dark window pane, she
recognised the figure of her dreams and, having long ago made up her
mind what to do when she had the chance, she ran to the French window
without an instant's delay, and let herself out of it with graceful
speed.

The Baby, panic-stricken, felt but one desire, that she might never know
who had played the spy. He threw himself over the verandah rail with an
acrobat's skill, and with head in front and nimble feet he darted off
under the maple trees: but he had to reckon with an agile maiden. Helen
had grown tired of a fruitless dream. A crescent moon gave her enough
light to pursue; lights of friendly houses on all sides assured her of
safety.

Over the log fence into the pasture vaulted the Baby, convinced now that
he had escaped. Vain thought! He had not considered the new education.
Over the fence vaulted Helen as lightly: in a minute the Baby heard her
on his track.

The cow and the horse had never before seen so pretty a chase. There was
excitement in the air and they sniffed it; they were both young and they
began to run too. The sound of heavy galloping filled the place.

Of the two sides of the field which lay farthest from the house, one
looked straight over to the glaring Syndicate windows, and one to the
rugged bank that rose from the shore. The Baby's one mad desire was to
conceal his identity. He made for the dark shore. Another fence, he
thought, or the rocks of the bank, would surely deter her flying feet.

They both vaulted the second fence. The Baby still kept his distance
ahead, but when he heard that she too sprang over, a fear for her safety
darted across his excited brain. Would those cantering animals jump
after and crush her beneath their feet, or would she fall on the rocks
of the shore which he was going to leap over? The Baby intended to leap
the shore and lose his identity by a swim in the black water.

It was this darting thought of anxiety for Helen that made him hesitate
in his leap. Too late to stop, the hesitation was fatal to fair
performance. The Baby came down on the shore with a g