te
mass of persons, who appeared to be swimming in a mist before him, and
held out her hand.

"I am so glad to see you, Mr. Graham. Nan and I were beginning to be
afraid you would not be able to come," she said cordially. "But you
are just in time, as we are only sitting down to the table this very
minute."

And Meg Everett then led her final guest down what seemed to him a
mile's length of table, placing him between two persons, whom at the
moment he did not suppose that he had ever seen. And before he could
quite recover his senses there was an unexpected burst of music and
then a cheer that filled every inch of the cabin space.

"Wo-he-lo for aye, Wo-he-lo for aye, Wo-he-lo, Wo-he-lo, Wo-he-lo for
aye! Wo-he-lo for work, Wo-he-lo for health, Wo-he-lo, Wo-he-lo,
Wo-he-lo for Love."

And then with laughter Meg Everett's New Year dinner guests took their
places at the table and in the pause Anthony Graham had a chance to
pull himself together. To his relief he found that Miss McMurtry was
seated on his left side, and at least they were acquaintances. For
Miss McMurtry had also come to live in the old Ashton house and often
passed the young man on the stairs, nodding good-night or good-morning.
Then he had put up some book-shelves for her in her room and moved the
furniture to her satisfaction. So, perhaps the Camp Fire party might
not be so wretchedly uncomfortable with one person near with whom he
might exchange an occasional word.

For just what the young man's emotions were this evening, no one except
a person placed in a similar position could understand. Perfectly well
did he appreciate that Meg had asked him to her dinner only because of
her loyalty and affection for his sister, Nan, as a member of her same
Camp Fire Club. The brothers of the other girls had been invited, Jim
Meade, Frank Wharton and, of course, John Everett, besides others of
his friends. So to have left him out might have been to hurt Nan's
feelings. His sister was both proud and sensitive over his efforts to
make a better position for himself in the village. Yet should he have
taken advantage of Meg's kindness and accepted her invitation? Anthony
was by no means certain. This same question had been keeping him awake
for several nights and even after having written his hostess that she
might expect him to appear he had delayed his approach until the last
minute.

Assuredly the other young men would not enjoy his presence.