h whom he could flirt in his
idle moments? Well (with a passionate fling of her arms), she would
extinguish her uncontrollable little beater for the nonce; she would
meet and answer every one of his long glances in kind.

She wound a black lace shawl around her head, and with some wraps for
her mother, came out.

"Hadn't you better put something over your shoulders?" he asked
deferentially as she appeared.

"And disgust the night with lack of appreciation?"

She turned to a corner of the porch and lifted a pair of oars to her
shoulder.

"Why," he said in surprise, coming toward her, "you keep your oars at
home?"

"On the principle of 'neither a borrower nor a lender be;' we find it
saves both time and spleen."

She held them lightly in place on her shoulder.

"Allow me," he said, placing his hand upon the oars.

A spirit of contradiction took possession of her.

"Indeed, no," she answered; "why should I? They are not at all heavy."

He gently lifted her resisting fingers one by one and raised the broad
bone of contention to his shoulder. Then without a look he turned and
offered his arm to Mrs. Levice.

The crickets chirped in the hedges; now and then a firefly flashed
before them; the trees seemed wrapped in silent awe at the majesty of
the bewildering heavens. As they approached the river, the faint susurra
came to them, mingled with the sound of a guitar and some one singing in
the distance.

"Others are enjoying themselves also," he remarked as their feet touched
the pebbly beach. A faint crescent moon shone over the water. Ruth went
straight to the little boat aground on the shore.

"It looks like a cockle-shell," he said, as he put one foot in after
shoving it off. "Will you sit in the stern or the bow, Mrs. Levice?"

"In the bow; I dislike to see dangers before we come to them."

He helped her carefully to her place; she thanked him laughingly for his
exceptionally strong arm, and he turned to Ruth.

"I was waiting for you to move from my place," she said in defiant
mischief, standing motionless beside the boat.

"Your place? Ah, yes; now," he said, holding out his hand to her, "will
you step in?"

She took his hand and stepped in; they were both standing, and as the
little bark swayed he made a movement to catch hold of her.

"You had better sit down," he said, motioning to the rower's seat.

"And you?" she asked.

"I shall sit beside you and use the other oar," he answered
nonchalan