nsive faces toward the lake. What they were
to find there they did not know; but intuition warned them it would be
sufficiently painful.

When they reached the brow of the last hill, and the lake stretched
vividly below them, they had no eyes for the loveliness of the prospect.
The little hut at the head of the water far to the left was the first
thing they saw; and it was charged with a significance that obliterated
everything else. Facing the early sunlight it stood revealed with
startling distinctness; and even at the distance had a ghastly look;
gray, artificial and decayed in the midst of the mellow autumn
loveliness.

"I will picket the packhorses down at the edge of the water," Garth
said; "and we'll ride on without them. It will provide us with an
obvious excuse to return immediately."

Natalie scarcely heard. Her eyes were fixed on the distant shack. "What
do you suppose it hides from us?" she whispered. "Death, misery, or
disgrace?"

Garth could scarcely forbear groaning in the pain of his solicitude for
her. "Oh, Natalie!" he said hoarsely, "I haven't done right to expose
you to this!"

"I made you!" she said quickly. "Besides, it's not a question of right
or wrong. As you said we would, we have only done the best we could,
under the circumstances that arose."

"At least let me ride on ahead a little," he begged. "You stay with the
outfit. I will hurry back."

She shook her head. "I couldn't stand the suspense," she said simply.
"Do not be afraid on my account," she added; "merely looking with my
outward eyes at something that always faces me within won't hurt me.
Come on!"

But presently she reined up her pony again, and turning a pair of
brimming eyes on him, extended her hand. "Garth!" she murmured, "I--I
would like to thank you--but I can't!"

"Oh, don't!" he begged.

"Whatever we find down there," she said wistfully, "it can't make any
difference, can it? We will still be the same partners of the trail?"

Garth went pale to his lips--but he contrived to smile at her. He took
her hand and looked at her full. "Until death," he said quietly.

She drew her hand away, with a deep breath. "Come on," she said. "We've
got to face it!"

XV

THE MEETING

The spot of the lake shore where Garth picketed the two horses was
something under two miles from Mabyn's hut. The way led among the trees
which filled this part of the valley of the lake; and underfoot they
could distinguish traces o