ey. But one evening as she sat
sketching on her favorite flat seat of rock, Miss Noble somewhat alarmed
this youth by dropping her paper and starting to her feet.

"Orlander" Harney sat and stared at her with black eyes and opened
mouth. The red came and went under her fair skin, and she breathed
quickly.

"Oh," she cried softly, "how _could_ I be mistaken!"

That she was not mistaken became evident immediately. At the very moment
she spoke, the advancing horseman, whose appearance had so roused her,
glanced upward along the path and caught sight of her figure. He lifted
his hat in gay greeting and struck his horse lightly with his whip.
Rebecca bent down and picked up her portfolio.

"You may go home," she said quietly to the boy. "I shall be there soon;
and you may tell Miss Thorne that Mr. Lennox has come." She was at the
base of the rock when the stranger drew rein. "How is this?" she asked
with bright uplifted eyes. "We did not think"--

It occurred to Lennox that he had never recognized her peculiar charm
so fully as he did at this moment. Rebecca Noble, though not a
beauty, possessed a subtle grace of look and air which was not easily
resisted,--and just now, as she held out her hand, the clear sweetness
of her face shadowed by her piquantly plain hat of rough straw, he felt
the influence of this element more strongly than ever before.

"There was no reason why I should not come," he said, "since you did not
forbid me."

At sunset they returned to the cabin. Lennox led his rather
sorry-looking animal by the bridle, and trusting to its meekness of
aspect, devoted his attention wholly to his companion.

"Thet's Nath Dunbar's critter," commented "Mis'" Harney, standing at the
door. "They've powerful poor 'commodations fur boardin', but I reckon
Nath must 'a' tuk him in."

"Then," said Rebecca, learning that this was the case, "then you have
seen Lodusky."

But he had not seen Lodusky, it seemed. She had not been at home when
he arrived, and he had only remained in the house long enough to make
necessary arrangements before leaving it to go in search of his friends.

The bare, rough-walled room was very cheery that night. Lennox brought
with him the gossip of the great world, to which he gave an air of
freshness and spice that rendered it very acceptable to the temporary
hermits. Outside, the moon shone with a light as clear as day, though
softer, and the tender night breezes stirred the pine-tops and ne