re it curls about her forehead and neck. Hundreds of them. And
her lips are made for kisses. See how dainty and sweet and heart-broken
she is. She is dreaming of _you_, James. Are you going to let her go?
Why, who could resist such a girl? _You're not going to let her go!_ You
feel what I am saying to you. You won't give her up. She loves you, boy.
And you realise now that you can't live without her. Speak! Speak to
her!"

"Miss Kathrien!" said Hartmann earnestly; then halted, frightened at his
own temerity.

The girl looked up quickly. At sight of him she flushed and rose
impulsively to face him.

"Oh, James!" she cried. "I'm so glad--so _glad_ to see you!"

As their hands met the man's hesitancy fled.

"I _felt_ that you were in here," said he. "All at once I seemed to know
you were here and alone. And before I realised what I was doing, I came
in. I didn't mean to."

"Didn't mean to come and see me while you were here?" she echoed in
reproach. "Why not?"

"For the same reason I didn't stay when I was here before. I----"

"Why did you go away that time?" she demanded. "Why did you go without a
word of good-bye to--to any of us?"

"Tell her, boy," adjured Peter Grimm. "Don't mind _my_ feelings."

"Your uncle sent me away," blurted Hartmann, "but it was partly at my
own request."

"Oom Peter sent you away? Why?"

"I told him the truth again."

"Oh! One of your usual hot arguments that used to worry me so? I
remember how excited you both used to get. Was it about the superiority
of potatoes to orchids this time?"

"No. The superiority of one person to the whole world."

But she did not catch his meaning. She was looking up at the big
athletic body and the clean, strong face, with an absurd longing to
creep into the man's arms for shelter as might a tired child.

"It's so _good_ to see you back," she said.

"I'm only here for a few hours," he answered. "Just long enough to put
one or two details of the business to rights. Then I'm going away
again--this time for good."

"No! Where are you going?"

"Father and I are going to try our luck on our own account. I've a few
thousands from a legacy that came to me last month from my grandmother.
And father has saved a tidy little sum, too. We're going to start in
with small fruits and market gardening. We haven't decided just where."

"It will be so strange--so different--so lonely and _empty_ when I come
back," she mourned, "with Uncle and you both gone