tly heightened color, as she disengaged herself gently from his
arm.

"No," he answered boldly, "for the pail never would have stiffened
itself in a tiff, and tried to go alone."

"Of course not, if it were only a pail," she responded.

They moved on again in silence. The trail was growing a little steeper
toward the upper end and the road bank. Bray was often himself obliged
to seek the friendly aid of a manzanita or thornbush to support them.
Suddenly she stopped and caught his arm. "There!" she said. "Listen!
They're coming!"

Bray listened; he could hear at intervals a far-off shout; then a nearer
one--a name--"Eugenia." So that was HERS!

"Shall I shout back?" he asked.

"Not yet!" she answered. "Are we near the top?" A sudden glow of
pleasure came over him--he knew not why, except that she did not look
delighted, excited, or even relieved.

"Only a few yards more," he said, with an unaffected half sigh.

"Then I'd better untie this," she suggested, beginning to fumble at the
knot of the handkerchief which linked them.

Their heads were close together, their fingers often met; he would have
liked to say something, but he could only add: "Are you sure you will
feel quite safe? It is a little steeper as we near the bank."

"You can hold me," she replied simply, with a superbly unconscious
lifting of her arm, as she yielded her waist to him again, but without
raising her eyes.

He did,--holding her rather tightly, I fear, as they clambered up the
remaining slope, for it seemed to him as a last embrace. As he lifted
her to the road bank, the shouts came nearer; and glancing up, he saw
two men and a woman running down the hill toward them. He turned to
Eugenia. In that instant she had slipped the tattered dust-coat from her
shoulder, thrown it over her arm, set her hat straight, and was calmly
awaiting them with a self-possession and coolness that seemed to
shame their excitement. He noticed, too, with the quick perception of
unimportant things which comes to some natures at such moments, that
she had plucked a sprig of wild myrtle from the mountain side, and was
wearing it on her breast.

"Goodness Heavens! Genie! What has happened! Where have you been?"

"Eugenia! this is perfect madness!" began the elder man didactically.
"You have alarmed us beyond measure--kept the stage waiting, and now it
is gone!"

"Genie! Look here, I say! We've been hunting for you everywhere. What's
up?" said the younger man