. "There's never anything in this world so good but it might be
a little better."

"Well, this comes as near perfection as anything I ever saw," said
Blackburn's friend. "Come, ladies, this makes a splendid finale; we
must be getting on our way."

Gilbert walked by Rosalie's side to the car. She was radiantly
good-humored now, but not a word could he get from her of the subject
nearest his heart. Of course she forgave him, she declared, choking
back her laughter to say it, but oh! oh! did he ever see anything so
frantically funny as that outrageous cow and that mad youngster after
her? Gilbert felt almost as much resentment against Keturah as poor
Sawed-Off must have experienced. Fate had always used him thus in his
dealings with Rosalie. Whenever he wanted her especially to be
serious, then something invariably occurred to set her laughing; but
how charming she was, to be sure, when she laughed, with her little
head thrown back, and the tears in her dancing eyes!

He tried to join her, with poor success. He was consumed with anxiety
to know what the secret was she had intended to confide in him, and had
almost made up his mind to obey her, and offend Miss Cameron and
Malcolm and everybody. What did it matter when it meant Rosalie's
favor? But she gave him no second chance. She sprang gaily into the
car by Blackburn's side, and waved her hand in farewell. She was still
laughing as they moved off, and he could hear her saying between
ripples, "Oh! oh! and to think I didn't want to come, and I might have
missed that race!"

CHAPTER XII.

A RUSH FOR THE GOAL

The shorelark soars to his topmost flight,
Sings at the height where morning springs,
What though his voice be lost in the light?
The light comes dropping from his wings.

Mount, my soul, and sing at the height
Of thy clear flight in the light and the air,
Heard or unheard in the night, in the light,
Sing there! Sing there!
--DUNCAN CAMPBELL SCOTT.

Elmbrook felt keenly disappointed that the red threshing-machine did
not pass through the village on its return journey. Though no one
guessed it, Dr. Allen was the most deeply disappointed of all. Indeed,
such was the effect upon him, that he packed his suitcase the next day,
Davy Munn hung his mother's sunbonnet upon the top of the stable, and
the doctor boarded the train at the back lane and went to Toronto.

Elmbrook literally sat up nights, speculating as