st making a
reference to the judge's gift to his niece of the rowboat, when Benny
steered in toward the mill, and dropped his sail at the nearest spot
which at this tide was practicable.

"There is the new boat, now," cried Edna; "and Sylvia and Minty are in
it."

As she and the judge walked along the shore toward the little
boathouse, she waved her handkerchief toward the occupants of the Rosy
Cloud. It was Minty who first caught sight of the visitors.

"There's somebody a-wavin'," she said, and Sylvia stopped rowing and
looked over her shoulder. She had been finding the lightness and
responsiveness of her boat exhilarating, and her eyes were beaming
until she caught sight of the visitors.

Even Minty saw the change that crossed her face. "I wish 't they hadn't
come, too," she said regretfully. "Don't go in yet, Miss Sylvia."

"You see, Uncle Calvin gave me the boat, and he has never been inside
of it," returned Sylvia, beginning to row toward shore. "You shall take
her again, Minty, as soon as we are through."

She was surprised that Edna had come so promptly. She could still see
the cold disapproval in her friend's face the last time she had looked
upon it. What a contrast she saw now in its beaming expression!

Miss Derwent was uncomfortable, for she knew she could not be welcome,
and she longed for five minutes alone with Sylvia; but Judge Trent must
be considered, and she had to curb her impatience as best she might.

The judge watched the approach of the boat critically. "You go too
deep, Sylvia, you go too deep," he announced as she drew near. "Minty,
you row like a windmill. You'll have to take some lessons, too."

"Minty rows a good strong stroke," said Sylvia; "but she has always had
such a heavy boat that she'll have to learn that this doesn't require
the same effort." How strange it seemed that any one at this juncture
could consider the form of rowing! When one's heart was beating and
one's brain struggling to decide how to meet a difficult situation, as
if anything mattered, except to reach the shore and not to forget the
laws of hospitality.

"Well, well, miss," went on the judge, when he could see his niece's
flushed face, "this running away is pretty business. What have you to
say for yourself?"

"She needn't say anything," said Edna. "I told him you were homesick,
Sylvia, and it was reason enough. You had ample reason for leaving."

The speaker made the deliberate addition significantly,