she said, when Eric offered her a heavier
covering. "I love it--like this----"

Eric Brand was big and blond and somewhat slow in his movements. But he
had brains and held the position of telegraph operator at Bower's
Station. He had, too, a heart of romance. The day before he had seen
Evelyn toss the rose to Richard, and he had found it later where Richard
had dropped it. He had picked it up, and had put it in water. It had
seemed to him that the flower must feel the slight which had been put
upon it.

He spoke now to Anne of Richard. "They say he is a good doctor."

"I can't see why he came here."

"His mother wanted him to come. She hates the city. She went there as a
bride. Her husband was rich, but he was always speculating. Sometimes
they were so poor that she had to do her own work, and sometimes they had
a half dozen servants. But they never had a home. And then all at once he
lost other people's money as well as his own--and he killed himself----"

She turned on him her startled eyes. "Richard's father?"

"Yes. And after that young Brooks decided that as soon as he finished his
medical course he would come here. He thinks that he came because he
wanted to come. But he won't stay."

"Why not?"

"You saw his friends. And the women. Some day he'll go back and marry
that girl----"

"Evelyn Chesley?"

"Is that her name? She threw him a rose;" he forgot to tell her that he
had seen it fade.

They had reached the stable garage. Diogenes welcomed them from his warm
corner. The old dog Mamie who had followed the carriage shook the snow
from her coat and flopped down on the floor to rest. The little horse
Daisy steamed and whinnied. It was a homely scene of sheltered creatures
in comfortable quarters. Anne knelt down by the old drake, and he bent
his head under her caressing hand. Her face was grave. Eric, watching
her, asked; "Has it been a hard day?"

"No;" but she found herself suddenly tired.

She went in with Eric presently. They had a good hot supper, and Anne was
hungry. Gathered around the table were Peter and his wife, Beulah and
Eric, with Peggy rounding out the half dozen. Geoffrey Fox had gone to
town to get his belongings.

Anne had a vision of Richard and his mother in the big house. At their
table would be lovely linen and shining silver, and some little formality
of service. She felt that she belonged to people like that. She had
nothing in common with Peter and his wife and with Eric Br