in' to stay here and fix my game laig for me. What do
you reckon Miss Sheba wants with a fat, lop-sided lummox like you along
with her?"

Pete grew purple with embarrassment. He had not intended anything more
than civility and he wanted this understood.

"Hmp! Ain't you got no sense a-tall, Gid? If Miss Sheba's hell-bent on
goin' to meet Elliot, I allowed some one ought to go along and keep the
dark offen her. 'Course there ain't nothin' going to harm her, unless
she goes and gets lost--"

Sheba's smile cooled the heat of the stage-driver. "Which she isn't
going to do. Good of you to offer to go with me. Don't mind Mr. Holt.
Everybody knows he doesn't mean half of what he says. I'd be glad to
have you come with me, but it isn't necessary at all. So I'll not
trouble you."

Darkness fell quickly, but Sheba still held to the trail. There was no
sign of Elliot, but she felt sure he would come soon. Meanwhile she
followed steadily the tracks he had made earlier in the day.

She stopped at last. It was getting much colder. She was miles from the
camp. Reluctantly she decided to return. Then, out of the darkness, he
came abruptly upon her, the man whom she had come out to meet.

Under the magic of the Northern stars they found themselves again in
each other's arms for that brief moment of joyful surprise. Then, as it
had been in the morning, Sheba drew herself shyly away.

"They are waiting supper for us," she told him irrelevantly.

He did not shout out his happiness and tell her to let them wait.
For Gordon, too, felt awed at this wonderful adventure of love that had
befallen them. It was enough for him that they were moving side by side,
alone in the deep snows and the biting cold, that waves of emotion
crashed through his pulses when his swinging hand touched hers.

They were acutely conscious of each other. Excitement burned in the eyes
that turned to swift, reluctant meetings. She was a woman, and he was
her lover. Neither of them dared quite accept the fact yet, but it
filled the background of all their thoughts with delight.

Sheba did not want to talk of this new, amazing thing that had come into
her life. It was too sacred a subject to discuss just yet even with him.
So she began to tell him odd fancies from childhood that lingered in her
Celtic heart, tales of the "little folk" that were half memories and
half imaginings, stirred to life by some odd association of sky and
stars. She laughed softly at hers