r had a visitor who gave so much and enjoyed so much. She
and Geoffrey made friends at once, greatly to Clover's delight, and
Clarence took to her in a manner astonishing to his wife, for he was apt
to eschew strangers, and escape them when he could.

They all woke in the morning to a sense of holiday.

"Boys," said Elsie at breakfast, "this isn't at all a common, every-day
day, and I don't want to do every-day things in it. I want something new
and unusual to happen. Can't you abjure those wretched beasts of yours
for once, and come with us to that sweet little canyon at the far end of
the Ute, where we went the summer after I was married? We want to show
it to Rose, and the weather is simply perfect."

"Yes, if you'll give us half an hour or so to ride up and speak to
Manuel."

"All right. It will take at least as long as that to get ready."

So Choo Loo hastily broiled chickens and filled bottles with coffee and
cream; and by half-past nine they were off, children and all, some on
horseback, and some in the carryall with the baskets, to Elsie's "sweet
little canyon," over which Pike's Peak rose in lonely majesty like a
sentinel at an outpost, and where flowers grew so thickly that, as Rose
wrote her husband, "it was harder to find the in-betweens than the
blossoms." They came back, tired, hungry, and happy, just at nightfall;
so it was not till the second day that Rose met the Youngs, about whom
her curiosity was considerably excited. It seemed so odd, she said, to
have "only neighbors," and it made them of so much consequence.

They had been asked to dinner to meet Rose, which was a very formal and
festive invitation for the High Valley, though the dinner must perforce
be much as usual, and the party was inevitably the same. Imogen felt
that it was an occasion, and wishing to do credit to it, she unpacked a
gown which had not seen the light before since her arrival, and which
had done duty as a dinner dress for two or three years at Bideford. It
was of light blue mousselaine-de-laine, made with a "half-high top" and
elbow sleeves, and trimmed with cheap lace. A necklace of round coral
beads adorned her throat, and a comb of the same material her hair,
which was done up in a series of wonderful loops filleted with narrow
blue ribbons. She carried a pink fan. Lionel, who liked bright colors,
was charmed at the effect; and altogether she set out in good spirits
for the walk down the Pass, though she was prepared t