Clover

their letters; in reality to call on their late departed guests. They talked amicably as they went; but unconsciously

bout her, and a young man in an extremely "fetching" costume of snow-white duck, with a flower in his button-hole, was bending over her chair, and talking in a low voice of something which seemed of interest. He looke

r chair, and gave them a

nd Miss Blanchard, and they shook hands with Marian Chase, whom they already knew, and lastly were presented to Mr. Wade, the youth

st ten on her way down," they heard him say. "Miss Chase will go with the Hopes. Oh, yes; there will be plenty of roo

these words. The only consolation was that the creature in duck was going. He was making his last bows; and one of th

y, Clover. I shall run in a minute to-morrow to

Thursday?" growled Clarence

im the director's car to take a party over the Marshall Pass, and he has asked Phil and me to go. It is such a surprise. Ever since we came to St. Helen's, people have been telling us what a beautifu

e looked a little serious, and not so bright as in the valley; but he was making himself very pleasant, notwithstanding. Surely he had the same causes for annoyance as Clarence; but his breeding f

ve you known him? What business has he to be bringing you r

usually soft eyes ma

on," he said in

hould," replied Clove

talk to Geoff, whose grave courtes

ainst the balustrade moody and miserable. Phil, who had watched these various interludes with interest, indicated his condition

his ill-temper, there was nothing to mar their enjoyment. Geoff's horse had cast a shoe on the way down, it seemed, and must be ta

an Chase, as the young men rode away. "Three

ee w

leaves-to

ance, I believe. If t

ound you like wasps round honey. It's some natural la

tease me, Poppy. People out here are so

t all pure kindness? Really, for s

"I never was a belle in my life, and that's the second time you'

Never mind; you sha'n't be teased, Clover dear. Only don't let this trefoil of yours get to fighting with one

he's rather spoiled and not

hall Pass?" inquired Geoff, after dinne

e shall only be

permit, with my field-glass. It is a particularly good

larence, a little later. "Saturday? Th

want your

on't be any worth co

ter from y

in a while. Most of wh

re gone. "He would have been a great deal nicer if he had had a pleasanter time at home.

e reply that Phi

ink,-though I'm sure I can't imagine why; but they behaved so differently. Mr. Templestowe thought of us and something which might give u

the larder was stocked with all imaginable dainties,-iced tea, lemonade, and champagne cup flowed on the least provocation for all the hot moments, and each table was a bank of flowers. Each lady had a superb bouquet; and on the second day a great tin box of freshly-c

ve devised a way through. Then, after a pause at the pretty town of Salida, with the magnificent range of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in full sight, they began to mount the pass over long loops of rail, which doubled and re-d

mésas, like folds of green velvet flung over the rocks; now of dim-seen valley depths with winding links of silver r

stemons, pink, blue, royal purple, or the rare scarlet variety, like stems of asparagus strung with rubies. There were masses of gillias, and of wonderful coreopsis, enormous cream-colored stars with deep-orange centres, and de

ntive coo of mourning-doves in the branches, and the rush of the wind, which was l

'm so much

en I wa

n the rear platform of the car

ion plays the mischief with some people. My mothe

licious. I feel as though I could dance a

Mr. Wade, staring at Clover admiringly. Her cheeks were pi

l peaks of the Sangre de Cristos as it dipped out of sight. "I think I could fi

ry. And Clover did not cry, but fell to work on her supper with an excellent appetite, quite unconscious that they were speeding through another wonderful gorge without seeing one of its beauties. Then the car was detached from t

of hotel for locomotives. A number of the enormous creatures had evidently passed the night there, and just waked up. Clover now watched their antics with great amusement from her window as their engineers ran them in and out, rubbed them down like horses, and

nd don't you want to take a spin down the canyon and see the view with no smoke to spoil it? Just you and

they were smoothly running down the gorge, over high trestle-work bridges and round sharp curves which made her draw her breath a little faster. There was no danger, the

were its waters and mixed of so many hues. Its course among the rocks was a flash of foaming rapids, broken here and there by pools of exquisite blue-green, deepening into inky-violet under the shadow of the cliffs. And such cliffs!-one, two, three thousand feet high; not deep-colored like those about St. Helen's, b

er end of the gorge, and loud were the reproaches which met the hap

not to wake a

the heart. I did peep in at your curtain, and if you had moved so

the young men from the ranch in again; and another fortnight passed happily, Clover's three "leaves" being most faithfully attentive to their central point of attraction. "

s, he was distinctly less well. With the lowering of his physical forces came a corresponding depression of spirits. Mrs. Watson worried him, the sick people troubled him, the sound of c

certain that they would be able to get them again later. Clover regretted this; but Fate, as

though Ellen never did care to, except with Henry of course, after they-And I really can't see that your brother's much different from what he was, though if Dr. Hope says so, naturally you-He's a queer kind of doctor, it seems to me, to send lung patients up higher than this,-which is high already,

ubtfully, "that as you've always admired Phil's room so

and been comfortable enough. But he seems just about as he was when we came, so there's no use waiting; and I'd rather go to the Shoshone anyway. I always said it wa

oice tremble, and perfectly aware of th

Bangs, at home, would be ashamed to come to the house without his ste

the Shoshone, and Clover packed the trun

ome hundreds of feet higher than St. Helen's, and seemed the very home of peace. A Sunday-like quiet perv

built structure,-and about it were a number of cabins and cottages, in which two, four, or six people could be accommodated. Clover and Phil were lodged in one of these. The tiny structure contained only a sitting and two sleepi

d butter, as offerings from the ranch; and, what Clover valued as a greater kindness yet, they brought Phil's beloved broncho, Sorrel, and arranged with the owner of the Ute ranch that it should remain as long as Phil was there. This gave Phil hours of de

to pass the rest of the day. There was no lack of kind people at the main house and in the cottages to take an interest in the delicate boy and his sweet, motherly siste

de his appearance, gallantly mounted, and freighted with flowers and kind messages from his mother to Miss Carr; but Clover was nev

e valley and the park. Now and then either Clarence or Geoff would lead over a saddle-horse and give Clover a good gallop up or down the valley, w

k,-a Swiss-like village of hotels and lodging-houses and shops for the sale of minerals and mineral waters, set along the steep sides of a narrow green valley. They were chatting gayly, and

ore the first houses came in sight the heavy drops began to pelt down. A brown young fellow, lying flat on his back under a thick bush, with his horse standing over him, shout

under cover, while he stretched himself at full length on a higher ledge, and held the bridles fast. The horses' hea

o close to Clover's ear that she could catch his words in sp

call

do you know?" was the next

nse

nsense

he lady who held the umbrella looked out, and caught the picture of the group under the cliff. It was a suggestive one. Clover's hat was a little pushed forward by the rock against which she leaned, which in its turn pushed forward the waving rings of hair

econds, as the carriage whirled past; but in that fraction of a minute the lady had nodded and flashed

en caught as we have," she said, as

rain for a week,"

wish! What would be

I should have you all to myself for once, an

ungry we should be! How can

at all. I'm perf

want to stay a week under t

you for a whole solid week to myself. There is such a gang of people about always, and they all want

al. You come next to P

em? I want you to like me a great deal more than t

! I do love you, of cou

myself. Clover, you know what I mean; you must know. I can a

rence. I'm older than you are. I thought you loo

d have you remember, though I am a little younger than you, and know my own mind as well as if I were fifty. Dear Clovy," coa

be half in joke, or she half in dream. "But, my dear boy, it isn't my home. I couldn't leave p

tedly; Clover's kind, argumentative, elder-sisterly tone

ver, not far from tears he

n offer? You must have had

n Burnet. Please don't say any more, Clarence. I'm

hat? G

Clover was

u can't love me i

as a sob, but the sincerity

n't your fault, I suppose. I'm not good enough for you. Still

ves care for each other; it has to come in spite of them or not at all,-at least, that is what the novels s

r as well as yours." Then, after a silence and a struggle, he added in a more manful tone, "We'll try for it, at least. I can't afford to give you u

ple, that makes you suppose I am better than the rest. One of these days you'll find a girl who is a gre

ily, as he gathered up the bridles of the horses; "b