flickered and gone
out she bent again to her work, while Blair remained, looking down at
her, in his eyes mingled amusement and resentment. What had he done, he
wondered, to account for such a change? Or, perhaps, it was something he
had not done. He tried again.

"Aren't we going for our ride this morning? It's a glorious day, and I
have the refusal of the two best horses."

"No, I think not,--not this morning, thank you," she answered. In her
voice was the same crisp sweetness. "I haven't time!"

With a shrug of pure bewilderment he backed away, then lingered a moment
longer to watch the sketch take shape beneath her hurrying brush. That
was the particular moment Miss Hastings chose for the final reckless
stab.

"You're standing in my light," she said. "If you'd just as soon, please
do go away, Mr. Blair. It makes me nervous to have people looking over
my shoulder when I'm trying to paint."

This was just a trifle more than Blair at the moment was prepared to
stand. His eyes grew dark.

"Certainly," he replied icily. "So sorry to have bothered you at all.
I only came down to tell you that I've decided to leave today. There's
nothing more to keep me now, I think, and I'm rather anxious to get
home. You'll find your check at the desk." And he sauntered away.

She did not go back to the hotel for luncheon. She had finished her
sketch, yet, somehow, when the time came, she discovered that it would
be quite impossible to enter the dining room. She found it equally
impossible to take the afternoon boat herself. Instead, having clambered
half way up the steep slope to the cavern, she watched from behind
a flaming riot of wild nasturtians while, preceded by a hotel porter
bearing bags and suit-cases, Blair boarded the Avalon for Los Angeles.
He was going away, then, without even a word of farewell.

The heart of the little art teacher turned cold within her, so cold that
she sank numbly into the red and gold tangle; nor did she look up again
until the steamer, dipping below the horizon, had left only a trail of
smoke to show where it disappeared. She had not believed that he would
do quite that!

When evening came she went stoically in to dinner. There was no reason
any longer for staying away. Sternly she kept her eyes from the vacant
place opposite. Yet somehow she could not persuade herself that he was
really gone. More than once she caught herself watching the door, half
expecting to see him stroll in with apo