ail had
scarcely been washed and put in its place to-night when the first
visitor appeared in the lane.

Uncle Neil, coming up from the pump in the orchard, with two pails of
fresh water, announced that the whole MacKenzie family were coming
across the field, and burst into the song that always set Ellen's
cheeks flaming.

"MacDonald's men, Clan Donald's men,
MacKenzie's men, MacGillivray's men,
Strath Allan's men, the Lowland men
Are coming late and early!"

"MacGillivray's man's coming early to-night, Mary!" called Sandy.
"There's his buggy comin' up the line! Man, it's easy to see he hasn't
any chores in the evening!"

"I'm all behind the times!" cried the new brother. "Tell me all about
this MacGillivray man. He's a new one!"

He caught hold of Mary as she came in from the spring house, but she
dodged him. This MacGillivray man was a new and quite special
cavalier. He was no country boy from a neighbouring farm, but a
prosperous young merchant from Port Stewart, a town some dozen miles
away on the lake shore. Driving through the country one bright day in
early spring, he had met Mary on her way to school, and had never got
over the sight. Since then he had driven out all the way to Orchard
Glen many a night for a repetition of the vision.

"Will you finish for me, Christine?" Mary whispered in a panic. "I'm
not fixed up yet, and he's coming up the lane."

Christina promised and hurried her away. It didn't matter, she
reflected, whether she was dressed in her best or her milking apron.
There was no MacGillivray's man or MacKenzie's man, Highland or
Lowland, coming over the hills to see her. And then she suddenly
remembered with dismay the flowers that must be still lying under the
bushes at the stile!

She hurried through her work, threw off her apron, smoothed her hair,
and ran down the path to the grove. The evening shadows had full
possession now, and there were no splashes of gold on the undergrowth.
The veeries were ringing their bells in the tree tops and a cat bird
was fairly spilling out music of a dozen delightful varieties from a
hidden corner behind a basswood bush. Christina ran down the path and
parted the undergrowth. The basket was gone! She searched in every
corner. And then she remembered that on her way out to the milking she
had seen Gavin driving home from town. He had taken the basket back,
lest she should not find it! She turned and went slowly back up