Thurston of Orchard Valley

vigorous on the morning that followed his struggle with the bicycle. It was a glorious morning, and when breakfast was over he enjoyed the u

xiety and this brief glimpse of a life of ease, with the pleasure

n the meantime hard work and short commons are considerably more appropriate, b

luminous green of the maples nor the whispering cedars, but far off in the misty future a golden p

the visions he had conjured up stood before him, losing nothing by the translation into material flesh. Hele

Geoffrey answered, and

k or to pile up money forever, and a holiday is good for everybody. I am going down to White Rock Cove to see i

ebony of maidenhair fern. The scents and essence of summer hung heavy in the air. Shafts of golden sunlight, piercing the somber canopy of the forest isles, touched, and, it seemed to Geo

or the last ten minutes?" inquired Helen with a smile, at length. "Have these

and there was a momentary fla

e edge of speech, and I was wishing that this walk t

uptly, and then, after the fashion of one unskilled in tricks o

nsets in the world to equal those that flame along the snows of British Col

into an indefinite state of companionship with him. In the mountain solitude, such camaraderie had seemed perfectly natural, but it was impossible under different circumstances. It was only on the last occasion that he had ever hinted at a continuance

nstable, and what pleases us at one time may well prove tiresome at another. If that exp

had, however, learned patience in Canada, and was content to bide his time, so he answered good-humoredly that such a result might well be possible. They were silent until they halted where the hillside fell sh

ay was underpinned with timber against the side of an almost sheer descent, and he noticed that one could have dropped a vertical line from the fish-hawk, which hung poised a few feet outside one angle, into the water. T

nk hardly any other person has used it s

onal style of comment. "Poor system of underpinning, badly fixed yonder.

e met vied with one another in paying her homage. In addition to this, her father, in whose mechanical abilities she had supreme faith, had constructed that pathway especially f

till resolute. "The rains of last winter, however, have washed out much of the surface soil, leaving b

verse of cordial. "I have climbed both in the Selkirks and the Coast Range, and to anyo

utly wish I could," said Geoffrey, uneasily. "

abreast of him, he laid a hand restrainingly upon her arm. She shook it off, not with ill-humored petulance, for Helen was never ungraceful nor undignified, but with a disdain that hurt the man far more than anger. Nevertheless,

hat the bend yonder is dangerous. I cannot, therefore, consent to allow you to v

neer, and is said to be one of the most skillful in the Dominion. I

very sorry, Miss Savine, that, in this o

reating a few paces she seated herself upon a boulder, thus leaving the task of terminating an unpleasant

sappointment less if I convinc

le, and Geoffrey remained clinging to the rock, with one foot in a cranny, while a mass of earth and timber slid down the steep-pitched slope and disappeared over the face of the crag. A hollow splashing rose suggestively from far beneath the rock. Helen, who had been too angry to notice th

"In any case, you have at least made further progress impossible, and we may as well retrace our st

led to notice the hand, and the homeward journey was not pleasant to either of them. Helen did not parade her displeasure, but Geoffrey was sensible of it, and, never being a fluent speake

rivel in that style?" he reflected. "It was cruelly unfortunate, but I

rds the White Rock Cove, Helen. Very interesting place, isn't it, Mr

e expression of the eyes aroused his indignation because the glance was not a challenge, but a warning that whatever his answer might

the path slipped bodily away. Very fortunately I was some distance in advance of Miss Savine, and there was not the slightest d

no awkward questions. But Thurston saw no more of her duri

ll never be content to rough it when I go back to the bush. This is only too pleasant, but, being a poor man with a l

imsically, and answered

ill be of use to me, aid the connection also will help you considerably. My paid representatives are not always so energetic as they might be. So if you are tired of High Maples you can start in with the rock-cuttin

len admitted to herself that she was interested in Thurston, the more so because he alone, of all the men whom she had met, had successfully resisted her will.