illed her pledge; yet
even in this he sought excuses for her.

"She may love him without knowing it. Anyhow, he's a fine young lad, far
better for her than an old shoulder-shot cayuse like meself." His sense
of unworthiness became the solvent of other and sweeter emotions. His
wealth no longer seemed capable of bridging the deep chasm widening
between them.

This day had shown a black sky to him, even before Alice Heath's
disturbing call, for Bertha had been darkly brooding at breakfast, and
silent at lunch, and immediately after rising from the table had gone
away alone, without a word of explanation to any member of her
household. She had not even taken her dogs with her, and her face was
set and almost sullen as she passed out of the door and down the walk.
All this was so unlike her that Mart was greatly troubled. It gave
weight and significance to every word of Alice Heath's warning.

Bertha was gone till nearly six o'clock, and her mood seemed no whit
lightened as she entered the gate and came slowly up the walk. To Mart's
humbly spoken query, "What troubles ye, darlin'?" she made no reply, but
went at once to her room.

The old gambler seemed pitiably helpless and forlorn as he sat there in
his accustomed chair waiting her return. The bees and birds were busy
among the vines, and all the well-oiled machinery of his splendid home
was going forward to the end that his sweet girl-wife should be served.
If she were unhappy, of what value were these soft rugs, these savory
dishes, this shining silver? There was, in truth, something mocking and
terrifying in the swift, well-trained action of the servants, who went
about their tasks unmoved and apparently unacquainted with any change in
the mind of their young mistress.

In the kitchen the cook was carefully compounding the soup while
watching the roast. Lucius, deft and absorbed, was preparing the table,
arranging the coffee service and deciding upon the china. On the seat
under the pear-trees Miss Franklin was chatting with Mrs. Gilman, and in
the barn the coachman could be heard giving the horses their evening
taste of green grass--"and yet how empty, aimless, and foolish it all is
if Bertha is unhappy," thought the master.

He grew alarmed for fear she would not come down; but at last he heard
her light step on the stairs, and when she came in view his dim eyes
were startled by the transformation in her. She had put on the plainest
of her gowns, and she wore