coin, instead she merely answered his
greeting and plucking one each of a half dozen kinds, still moist with
the dew, handed them to him. And he looked into the wondrous eyes raised
to his, saw a new light lingering in them, and smiling softly as he took
the flowers he thanked her and went his way.

And strange to say, when he reached the quarry, he hid that little
nosegay in a shaded nook beside the ledge where a tiny spring dripped
out, and when he returned that noon, carried them wrapped in a wet
handkerchief to his room and left them in a glass of water. And that
night when the vexation and cares of the day had passed, he, a little
homesick and with the charm of Mona's playing still lingering in his
mind, held communion with himself. And the cause was the following
missive which had reached him:--

"DEAR MR. HARDY:

"I was surprised a few days ago when your aunt told me you had
left the city to be manager of the Rockhaven Granite Co., and
had gone away to some unheard of island. I had missed seeing
you for a week, and when you were not at church with your aunt,
asked her what had become of you. When she told me where you
were it seemed likely you would be glad to hear from home, and
as I am aware your worthy aunt hates letter writing, I thought
I would be good to you. There isn't a bit of news to write, and
the city is getting positively unbearable.

"Mother and I are getting ready to go to the mountains; we
shall start early in July and your aunt goes with us. I presume
from what she said you will remain where you are this summer. I
almost envy you, for it certainly must be cool there, and no
doubt you have or will find some sweet fishermaid to flirt
with. Grace is not going with us for she says a baby is a
nuisance at a hotel and then 'hubby' can't afford it. I saw
Jack (your chum) the other evening at the Bijou with a girl who
was stunning, also Mabel Weston and her mother.

"I do not know of anything else that will interest you except
my address for the summer, which I enclose, and the hope that
you won't forget us all before your return.

"Yours sincerely,
"ETHEL SHERMAN."

And this from the girl who two short years before had laughed his
marriage proposal to scorn.

And he was like to find some simple fishermaid to flirt with, was he?
And the cool indifference to that fact; and the c