, Strange's body was never found. Thirlwell knew
his daughter's address, and sent her news of the accident, which led to
an exchange of letters. Now he would shortly see her, give her the
particulars she wanted, and then their acquaintance would end, although
he liked the hotel and might stay for a few days' fishing.

His pipe went out and he was half asleep when a girl crossed the lawn.
She came nearer, as if to avoid the glistening showers the nickeled
sprinklers threw upon the thirsty grass, and Thirlwell watched her
drowsily, noting her light, well-balanced movements and the grace of her
tall figure. She wore a big white hat and a thin summer dress that he
thought was very artistically made. There was something aristocratic
about her, and he imagined she belonged to a party that had landed from
a fine steam yacht. Then he noted with some surprise that she was coming
to him.

She stopped and Thirlwell got up, imagining that she had made a mistake.
Her face, like her figure, hinted at strength tempered by proud
self-control. She had brown hair with a ruddy tint that caught the
light, gray eyes that met his with a calm, inquiring glance, and firm
red lips. Thirlwell was not a critic of female beauty, but he saw that
she had dignity and charm. In the meantime, he wondered what she wanted.

"Mr. Thirlwell, I suppose?" she said.

He bowed and she resumed: "Then I must thank you for coming here to meet
me. I am Agatha Strange."

It cost Thirlwell an effort to hide his surprise; indeed, he wondered
with some embarrassment whether he had succeeded, for this was not the
kind of girl he had expected to meet.

"It was not much out of my way, and I wanted to see the lake," he
replied, as he brought a chair.

She thanked him, and sitting down was silent for a few moments while she
gazed across the lawn. Some of the guests were sitting in the shadow by
the water's edge, their summer clothes making blotches of bright color
among the gray rocks. Out on the lake, a young man knelt in the stern of
a canoe, swinging a paddle that flashed in the sun, while a girl trailed
her hand in the sparkling water. As the craft passed the landing she
began to sing. No breath of wind ruffled the surface now, and the dark
pine-sprays were still. A drowsy quietness brooded over the tranquil
scene.

"It is very beautiful," she said slowly. "Different, one imagines, from
the rugged North!"

"Very different," Thirlwell agreed, and took out a p