so, yet somehow he felt that his world
was out of joint, and, since he could not, or would not, determine just
what the trouble was, he could not take active measures to bring about a
readjustment.

With a conscious effort of his will he put the mountain child out of his
thoughts, and attempted to analyze his real feelings for the city girl,
to whom he was betrothed. He could assign no reason to the vague, but
persistent, feeling which frequently possessed him, when he was apart
from her, that she was not his natural mate. Her poise and reserve,
which sometimes irritated him, he knew to be really virtues, in a way as
desirable as they were rare in women, even of her class; her unusual
beauty fully satisfied his eye; she was a reigning queen, the desired of
many men and he had won her, although he hesitated a little over the
word "won." Finally, he was certain that she loved him, after her
fashion. Why should he, a man as reserved as he was, and one who had
little time to spend on the romantic embellishments of life, ask for
more? Yet there was mute rebellion in the depths of his heart, and even
the memory of that milestone night, eight months before, when the spirit
of Christmastide had added its spell to the influences of life-long
propinquity, and they had, almost without spoken words, crossed the
border and pledged themselves to one another, brought no thrill.

"I _know_ that she is a wonderful woman, and a real beauty," mused
Donald, half aloud. "The trouble must be ... yes, _is_, with me. She's
too wonderful for my simple tastes; that's the truth, as I told Ethel.
Oh, well, perhaps I can learn to live up to her ... but I hate this
society stuff."

* * * * *

Donald's return to the cabin, weary and uncomfortable in body and mind,
found Big Jerry sitting heavily in a chair, with Smiles hovering about,
and, from the expression on the face of each, he sensed at once that
something was wrong. The old man was saying, somewhat laboriously, "Hit
don't pain me ... much, Rose, gal. Hit haint nothin' ... ter mention.
I'll jest set still hyar erwhile, an' ..."

As the girl caught sight of Donald's big form in the doorway, her face
brightened momentarily; but it clouded again with swift pain when he
touched his heart with a significant gesture, accompanied by a
questioning look. She nodded, then said aloud, "Here's our Doctor Mac
back ergin, grandpappy. I reckon he kin do somethin' fer ter he