Clover

d the place had taken on a very homelike appearance. All the books and the photographs were unpacked, the washstand had vanished behind a screen made of a three-leaved clothes-frame draped with c

aid, giving the last touch to a bowl full of

bout roses," remarked Phil, who, boy-

ith a gardener," replied Clover, calmly; "no v

wers, and invitations to dine, to drive, to take tea. Among the rest came Mr. Thurber Wade, whom Phil was pleased to call Clover's young man,-the son of a rich New York banker, whose ill-health had brought him to

suppose has become of Clarence Page? He said he should

knees, and was supposed to be going on with his education, but in reality he was looking at the mount

le got very wild, and they had to ride after them? They wouldn't ride af

the lower end of the Ute Pass on his way to St. Helen

a relative we might let him come here, Phil

noting the different varieties of cough among the

lad you've got a little place of your own, and don't have

ome of them are gett

s one poor fellow in a recli

r her own. She asks him three times a day how he fee

Mrs.

ied Clover, with a little laugh. "I must introduce you by-and-by, but first we want a good talk all by

of our men got sick, so there was more to do than usual; then Geoff had to be away four days,

rt of ba

ister'

nd too! You said he wa

ornwall somewhere. She was older than Geoff a good deal; but

She tried to realize how she should feel if word came to St. Helen's of Katy's death, or Elsi

again; "what could you

woman to say the right thing at such times. We sit and smoke when the work's done, and I know what he's thinking about; bu

s that the name

to climb a good deal to get there. Can't you come? This is just the time,-raspberries ripe, and lots of flowers wherever

ed," doubtfully; "but who c

d it be if I asked Mrs. Hope? The doctor's got to come out anyway to see one of our herders who's put his shoulder out

lighting up. "Clarence, how delightful it sounds

looking extremely pleased. "I'll ride up

e with us,

tay over the day. She likes to have me. We've been great c

ce studied Mrs. Watson and her tortuous conversation, and, as he would have

soon as they went upstairs. "She's as much out of her element here as a

'll tell you about it sometime. But she likes to imagine tha

a blue-eyed kitten," observed the irreverent Clarence. "Well, I'll ride

dy girt about them, and easily adopt any plan which promises pleasure. The following day was fixed for the start, and Clover packed her valise and Phil's bag, with a se

d asked Mrs. Hope instead. Yes, I know; the doctor had to go up anyway. That may be true, and it may not; but it doesn't alter the case. What am

"He'll only be gone one night. Clover

at Phil. "He would hardly like to ask a stranger and an invalid to his house, when he might n

so will-He's from Ashburn too, and he must know the Parmenters, and Mrs. Parmenter's brother's son is partner to Henry's brother-in-law. It's of no con

apa would not wish her to sacrifice herself and Phil to such unreasonable humors. Still, it was not pleasant; and I am sorry to say that from this time dated a change of feeling on Mrs. Watson's part toward her "young friends

ose natural parks, four miles long, which lie like heaven-planted gardens among the Colorado ranges. The richest of grass clothed it; fine trees grew in clum

pland in embrace opened toward the south, and revealed a splendid lonely peak, on whose summit a

rude porch in front supported on unbarked tree trunks. Two fine collies rushed to meet them, barking vociferously; and at the sound Clarence

p; they've come." Then, as he appeare

wore a blue flannel shirt and high boots like Clarence's, yet somehow he made Clarence look a little rough and undistinguished. He was quiet in s

trewn with coyote and fox skins. Two or three easy-chairs stood around the fireplace, in which, July as it was, a big log was blazing. Their covers were shabby and worn; but they looked comfortable, and were evidently in constant use. There was not the least attempt at prettiness anywhere. Pipes

shelf of books. She rose to examine them. To her surprise they were all hymnals a

ich did duty for dressing-tables, and on each stood a tumbler stuffed as full as it could hold with purple pentstemons. Clover could not help laughing, yet there was something pathetic to her in the clumsy, man-like arr

table, and the other would forthwith alter its position slightly, or lift and scrutinize a tumbler and dust it sedulously with a glass-towel. Each spoon was polished with the greatest particularity

ly a good cook, for the corn-bread and fresh mountain trout and the ham and eggs were savory to the last degree, and the flapja

Mrs. Hope; "but if you are going to keep us a week, you must let us m

arence? May we play that it is our house, and do what we lik

in our ways, and are glad enough to be let off duty for a week. The hut is yours just as long as you will sta

. Hope. "Do you think they really wouldn't mind being tidied up a little? I

of improved comfort. Men are dreadfully untidy, as a general thing, when left

on't come back till breakfast at half-past seven; so if I wake early e

leep," declared Mrs. Hope; "but this air

Clover; "but it will be nic

look at the peak which glittered sharply in the light of th

lf, and kissed her hand to the mounta

ing on in the opposite wing, and manly voices hushed to suppressed tones were audible. Then came a sound of boots on the porch; and peeping from behind her

to the sitting-room. Her first act was to throw open all the windows to let out the smell of stale tobacco, her next to hunt for a broom. She found one at

and set the breakfast-table. When all this was done, there was still time to finish her toilet and put her pretty hair in its accustomed coils and waves; so that Clarence and Mr. Templestowe came in to find the fire blazing, the room bright and neat, Mrs. Hope sitting at the table in a pretty violet

ke this before. It's wonderful what a woman-no, two women," with a bow to Mrs. Hope-"can do toward making

shop-window yesterday; and it occurred to me that it might be just the thing for H

ly faces, raised Mr. Templestowe's spirits, and warmed him out of his reserve. He grew cheerful and friendly. Claren

, and felt themselves completely mistresses of the situation. A note to Marian Chase brought up a big parcel by stage to the Ute Valley, four miles away, from which it was fetched over by a cow-boy on horseback; and Clover worked away busily at scrim curtains for the windows, while Mrs. Hope shaped a slip cover of gay chintz for the shabbiest of the armchairs, hemmed a great square

ts, and was never tired of counting them. They looked so like New England, he declared, that he felt as if he must get a girl at once, and go and walk in the graveyard,-a pastime which he remembered as universal in his native town. Various

wn the valley, and into the charming little side canyons which opened from it. A spirited broncho, named Sorrel, had been made over to Phil's use for the time of his stay, and he was never out of the saddle when he could help it, except to eat

eir long whips and lassos, darting to and fro to head off refractory beasts or check the tendency to stampede. Both Clarence and Geoffrey Templestowe were bold and expert riders; but the Mexican and Texan herders in their employ far

, and he certainly took full advantage of it. Clover liked Clarence; but there were moments when she felt that she would rather enjoy the chance to talk more with Mr. Templestowe, and there was a loo

nd the room was quite full. Geoff read the service well and reverently, gave out the hymns, and played the accompaniments for them, closing with a brief bit of a sermon by the elder Arnold. It was all done simply and as a matter of course, and Clarence seemed to join in it with much good-will; but Clover privately wonde

ined there for the rest of his natural life. Clover hated to take him away; but Dr. Hope had warned her privately that a week would be enough of it, and that with

a little about the sister who had lately died; only a little,-he could not yet trust himself to talk long about her. Clover listened with frank and gentle interest. She liked to hear about the old grange at the head of a chine above Clovelley, where Geoff was born, and which had once been full of boys and girls, now scattered in the English fashion to all parts of the world. There was Ralph with his regiment in India,-he was the heir, it seemed,-and Jim

dren to care for, and that will keep her busy. I used to think she'd come out to me on

ushed tones of her soft voice. Geoff felt that it was there, and it comforted him. The poor fel

it before Eve came!" growled Clarence, t

after she came, if I remem

t he ha

ithout her and her old apple, I think," put in Ph

ody la

irls about to bother and tell him not to get too tired," remarked

the great bundle of wild-flowers, with their stems tied in wet moss; and Phil, torn from his beloved bronch

e lap-robe round Clover. "There's the mail to fetch, a

f, on the other side. "Clarence is not

wo partners went back into the house, w

ou what!" be

l you what!"

a red cent which ha

his friend, grimly. Miss Perkins was a particularly rigid spinster who taught a

I don't mean tha

rs. Hope and your cous

to-morrow," remarked Clarence,

shal

tone rather belied them. Clarence was a little puzzled by and did