s if
these two had forgotten Philip and Josephine. Their eyes had turned to
each other.

"Twenty-two years ago--A MONTH FROM TO-DAY!" repeated Josephine.

It seemed as if she had spoken the words that Philip might catch their
hidden meaning.

Adare straightened with a sudden idea:

"On that day we shall have a great anniversary feast," he declared. "We
will ask every soul--red and white--for a hundred miles about, with the
exception of the rogues over at Thoreau's Place! What do you say,
Philip?"

"Splendid!" cried Philip, catching triumphantly at this straw in the
face of Josephine's plans for him. He looked straight into her eyes as
he spoke. "A month from to-day these forests shall ring with our joy.
And there will be a reason for it--MORE THAN ONE!"

She could not misunderstand that! And Philip's heart beat joyously as
Josephine turned quickly to her mother, the colour flooding to the tips
of her ears.

The dogs had eaten their fish and were crowding about them. For the
first time Adare seemed to notice Metoosin, who had stood motionless
twenty paces behind them.

"Where is Jean?" he asked.

Josephine shook her head.

"I haven't seen him since last night."

"I had almost forgotten what I believe he intended me to tell you,"
said Philip. "He has gone somewhere in the forest. He may be away all
day."

Philip saw the anxious look that crept into Josephine's eyes. She
looked at him closely, questioningly, yet he guessed that beyond what
he had said she wanted him to remain silent. A little later, when Adare
and his wife were walking ahead of them, she asked:

"Where is Jean? What did he tell you last night?"

Philip remembered Jean's warning.

"I cannot tell you," he replied evasively. "Perhaps he has gone out to
reconnoitre for--game."

"You are true," she breathed softly. "I guess I understand. Jean
doesn't want me to know. But after I went to bed I lay awake a long
time and thought of you--out in the night with that gun in your hand. I
can't believe that you were there simply because of a noise, as you
said. A man like you doesn't hunt for a noise with a pistol, Philip.
What is the matter with your arm?"

The directness of her question startled him.

"Why do you ask that?" he managed to stammer.

"You have flinched twice when I touched it--this arm."

"A trifle," he assured her. "It should have healed by this time."

She smiled straight up into his eyes.

"You are too true to tell me fa