came burned rags.

"Let us go in," said Dolly.

"Wait," he said.

The night was pouring in over the crest, filling the meadow, the dome
above; a velvety blueness palpitated vaguely about them; a star, as if
touched by an unseen torch, suddenly sprang to light.

"Wait," murmured Charles-Norton; "it is beautiful at this hour."

But Dolly pressed against him with a little shiver. "I'm cold, Goosie,"
she cried; "let us go in."

They rose, went down the slope and across the meadow. Along the grass a
frigid little haze was forming; it was true that it was cold. If
Charles-Norton had been a practical man he would have observed that for
the last two weeks, in fact, the nights had been growing more and more
cold--which might have introduced a disturbing factor in his dream of the
coming days. But Charles-Norton, as has been seen, was not a practical
man.

They sat within, by a glowing fire. "It's nice to be home," said Dolly.
"It's fine," said Charles-Norton, stoutly.

CHAPTER XV

For three days Charles-Norton remained on earth sedulously. It was a
pleasant earth. They wandered together in the small area about the cabin;
they walked, swam, fished, picked flowers, and spent hours concocting, on
the fire before the cabin, nice little dishes which they negotiated
gourmandly, like children. On the second day Nicodemus, furry and fat
with idleness, was saddled, and they three went down the trail toward the
camp. Charles-Norton hid on the fringe of the forest while Dolly shopped
sagely in the general store, to the general approval of the somnolent
inhabitants who, by this time, had diminished to five; and then they
returned in the twilight, Nicodemus a bit wistful with the weight of the
many useful and good things within his bags. They worked about the cabin
the next day, and Dolly performed wonders with burlap and chintz.
Curtains draped the three small windows, a carpet spread upon the floor,
and on the big tree-trunk which, sawed off evenly in the center of the
cabin, served as a table, a shining lamp was set, promising of calm
evenings.

"We'll live here forever!" cried Charles-Norton, enthusiastically.

Dolly did not answer; her back was turned and she was busy tacking chintz
along one of the bunks.

On the fourth morning Charles-Norton felt a vague hunger which breakfast
did not satisfy. It was with him all day as he wandered on the ground,
the tips of his long wings stained with grass. It was with him str