epted this meekly, in her satisfaction over having her
way as to the new guest.

"I'll go and invite him, right away," she exclaimed. "He'll liven us
up."

But her father wrinkled his brows in doubt.

"What about the effect on the young fellow, himself?" he demanded.
"It can't do him any good, Josie. That sort of thing's unsettling, you
know."

Josephine attempted no reply, as she went on her way. Her father could
not see the flush that touched her cheeks.

Through such devious ways did it come to pass that the mountaineer
entered a world of which he had never even dreamed. His own complete
ignorance of social conditions prevented him from appreciating the
marvel wrought by fate in his behalf. In the simplicity of his
character, he accepted the change as a perfectly natural event in the
world that he had set out to explore. It was this simplicity, which
kept him from undue self-consciousness, that carried him safely
through what must otherwise have been an ordeal. He accepted what had
befallen thankfully, and sought to learn what he best might from the
novel environment. His interest was conspicuously in others, not in
himself. He was greedy of information, lavish in liking. By a benign
miracle, there were no snobs in the yachting party, which included
also two young men, and two of the owner's age, besides Josephine's
aunt. This chaperon was a motherly soul, and, in sheer kindliness of
heart did much to make the situation easy. The informality of the
party, too, was a tremendous advantage to the young man, though he
never guessed it. On the contrary, he accepted things as they were
enthusiastically, with never a thought of dismay. In flannels loaned
him by the largest guest, which fitted too snugly, he presented an
appearance so excellent that Mr. Blaise was moved to pinch his
daughter's ear, while reminding her of the stereotyped romance.

Such was the cause of Plutina's wearisome waiting for the letter that
did not come. Zeke found, to his distress, too late that an interval
of a week or more must elapse before a letter posted in Bermuda could
possibly reach the mountains. But, beyond that, there was nothing to
disturb the girl who loved him. The heart of the lad amid the luxuries
of life on the yacht was unchanged in its devotion. It was, indeed, as
if he saw all things as a frame for her. He was forever thinking how
Plutina would look here or there, in connection with this or the
other. The gowns of the thr