y he
stood still, and dropped her arm.

"I may never meet you again," he said slowly; "in all probability we
never shall meet, but before we part, let me see your face, Betty!"

There was a sound of a match being struck against the side of a box,
then a tiny flame flickered up in the darkness. Betty gazed upwards
into a face still young, but haggard and drawn with suffering, a long
thin face with deep-set eyes and a well-cut chin.

"Now, now, now," she was saying breathlessly to herself. "I must
notice! I must remember! I shall have to remember for so many years--"

The flame quivered and faded away.

"Thank you," said the stranger quietly. "I shall remember!" Evidently
his thoughts and hers had followed the same course.

They walked along slowly side by side, but no longer arm in arm, for
that momentary exchange of glances had brought a touch of personal
embarrassment into the situation which had been unfelt before. Betty
was anxiously pondering what to say in farewell, feeling at the same
time that further words would be more likely to mar than to aid the
impression already made, when suddenly a form loomed through the
darkness, and a well-known "Coo-ee" sounded in her ears.

"Miles--oh, Miles! I'm here! Oh, Miles, I am so glad! I was so
frightened, but this gentleman has been so kind. He has brought me all
the way home."

Miles grunted discourteously; he disapproved of stray acquaintances for
his sister, and now that anxiety for her safety was assuaged, began to
feel aggrieved at having been frightened for nothing.

"What on earth did you mean by rushing off by yourself? Might have been
lost all night. I've been hanging about for an age, not daring to go
into the house and scare the mater. Never go out with you again in a
fog!"

Betty laughed merrily.

"I can return that compliment. It seems to me that you ran away from
me." She turned to hold out her hand to the stranger. "Now that my
brother is here I need not trouble you any more. Good-bye! Thank you
very much!"

"Thank you!" he said earnestly. "Good-bye until--a brighter day."

"What does that bounder mean by talking of another day? Cheek!" grunted
Miles, leading the way onward, but Betty only pressed his arm and
replied irrelevantly--

"Don't say anything about our having missed each other when we first go
in, Miles. I'll tell mother quietly. I'd rather, if you don't mind."

Miles did not mind a bit--in fact, he was than