Evenin', folks," he saluted, but he did not seek a chair.

Before then they had seen him primed for a sensation; never until that
moment had he failed to aggravate their curiosity. He circled the room
but once, before he confronted them in a fashion that would have been
challenging, had it not been for his fiery face.

"Well, you may as well congratulate me," he invited, "and have done
with it. Because the suspense is over for me!"

Both men straightened in their chairs; both understood instantly. But
Garry was the quicker in speech.

"Not Cecile?" he inquired, in feigned consternation.

"Why not?" Joe was quickly belligerent.

"Oh, dear!" mourned Garry. "Oh, dear! I wish you had consulted me--or
some other married man first. Compatibility and common tastes, you
know, Joe, and all that sort of thing. She's a little Parisienne, and
you--well, you're only a riverman, like me!"

Joe condescended to draw up a chair. And his verbal condescension was
large.

"Sometimes you're fair," he spoke with scornful superiority, "and
sometimes you are so amateurish you make me homesick for Steve to come
back."

* * * * * *

She was waiting for him at the twist in the road. She was ready, two
days later, as she had promised to be.

Only her father and Miss Sarah and Caleb were present when they were
married. And then, and not alone because she knew he wished it, but
because it was the dearest wish of her own heart, they turned their
faces towards the cabin on the balsam knoll.

That day was theirs alone to be shared with no other living thing, save
the lesser brethren of the wilderness. Noon found them far north of
the foothills, deep in the hushed and higher ridges; twilight had come
and gone and the first of the stars were already blurred points of
light in the riffles, when they raised the river ahead. And there he
checked his horse, to point out the cabin, white-streaked with clay
chinking against a wall of green--he dismounted and lifted her to the
ground, for suddenly she wanted to go the rest of the way on foot.

She let her weight lie against him, the top of her head scarce higher
than his chin, and sighed a little.

"Tired?" he asked with that gentleness he saved for her alone.

The bright head shook.

"Happy?" he asked again, as gently.

She swung around and clung to him then.

"I'm so happy!" she whispered. "Do you suppose that anyone will ever
be as happy agai