ence from the sound of his own voice,
"it was like this. Charlie and I had been talking a piece, and then he
had to go off, and didn't want me. If he had, I should have gone with
him. Instead, I set off by myself, making toward the village. Being a
sort of feller who never sees much but what's straight ahead of him,
it didn't occur to me to look around at things. That's how it was I
didn't see you till I caught sight of your----"

"You needn't go into details," broke in Helen icily. "I just think it
was hateful your standing there looking on while I fell over that tree
trunk."

Bill's eyes took on a sudden blank look of bewilderment, which raised
a belated hope in Helen's broken heart, and set Kate chuckling
audibly.

"Tree trunk?" he exclaimed. "Did you fall? Say, I'm real sorry,
Miss Helen. I surely am. You see, I just caught sight of"--again
came Helen's warning glance, but the man went on without
understanding--"somebody in white, disappearing through the bushes,
on the run. I guessed a rattler, or a bear, or--or something had
got busy scaring you to death. So I jumped right in to fix him.
That's how I found these books," he finished up rather regretfully.
"And I was just feeling good enough to scrap a--a house."

A thaw had abruptly set in in Helen's frozen feelings. The memory of
those unfortunate feet of hers no longer waved before her mind's eye.
It was fading--fading rapidly. _He had not seen--them._ And as the
frozen particles melted, she could not help noticing what splendidly
cut features the man really had. His nose was really beautifully
shaped. She was glad, too, that his eyes were blue; it was her
favorite color, and went so well with fair hair, especially when it
was slightly wavy.

She smiled.

"Won't you sit down awhile?" she inquired, with a sudden access of
graciousness. "You see, we're very unconventional here, and your
brother's a great friend of ours." Then, out of the corners of her
eyes she detected Kate's satirically smiling eyes. She promptly
resolved to get even with her. "Especially Kate's, and--I'll let you
into a secret. A great secret, mind. We knew you were coming
to-day--had arrived, in fact--and Kate's been dying to see you all
day. Said she really couldn't rest till she'd seen Charlie's brother.
Truth."

Bill lumbered heavily into an ample rocker, and Helen propped herself
upon the table, while Kate, upon whom had descended an avalanche of
displeasure, suddenly bestirred h