must,
when he learned that she had failed.

Half an hour later, she could see the stone chimney of the little cabin
in Lonesome Cove. A little farther down several spirals of smoke were
visible--rising from unseen houses which were more miners' shacks, her
father said, that Hale had put up while she was gone. The water of the
creek was jet black now. A row of rough wooden houses ran along its
edge. The geese cackled a doubtful welcome. A new dog leaped barking
from the porch and a tall boy sprang after him--both running for the
gate.

"Why, Bub," cried June, sliding from her horse and kissing him, and then
holding him off at arms' length to look into his steady gray eyes and
his blushing face.

"Take the horses, Bub," said old Judd, and June entered the gate while
Bub stood with the reins in his hand, still speechlessly staring her
over from head to foot. There was her garden, thank God--with all her
flowers planted, a new bed of pansies and one of violets and the border
of laurel in bloom--unchanged and weedless.

"One o' Jack Hale's men takes keer of it," explained old Judd, and
again, with shame, June felt the hurt of her lover's thoughtfulness.
When she entered the cabin, the same old rasping petulant voice called
her from a bed in one corner, and when June took the shrivelled old hand
that was limply thrust from the bed-clothes, the old hag's keen eyes
swept her from head to foot with disapproval.

"My, but you air wearin' mighty fine clothes," she croaked enviously.
"I ain't had a new dress fer more'n five year;" and that was the welcome
she got.

"No?" said June appeasingly. "Well, I'll get one for you myself."

"I'm much obleeged," she whined, "but I reckon I can git along."

A cough came from the bed in the other corner of the room.

"That's Dave," said the old woman, and June walked over to where her
cousin's black eyes shone hostile at her from the dark.

"I'm sorry, Dave," she said, but Dave answered nothing but a sullen
"howdye" and did not put out a hand--he only stared at her in sulky
bewilderment, and June went back to listen to the torrent of the old
woman's plaints until Bub came in. Then as she turned, she noticed for
the first time that a new door had been cut in one side of the cabin,
and Bub was following the direction of her eyes.

"Why, haint nobody told ye?" he said delightedly.

"Told me what, Bub?"

With a whoop Bud leaped for the side of the door and, reaching up,
pulled a sh