ous Leslie, who always did the
wrong thing first and was sorry afterwards, and who forgot God when
she needed Him most? These thoughts flitted like visions through her
brain while she put on all speed and tore away up the hill at a much
faster rate than she had any business to do. But the road was clear
ahead of her and there was some relief in flying along through space
this way. It seemed to clear the mists from her brain, and cool down
her throbbing pulses. Yet just when she would think she had control of
her thoughts, that stern, distant expression on Howard's face would
come between her and the afternoon brightness, and back would roll the
trouble with renewed vigor. What a world this was anyway and why did
people have to live? Just trouble, trouble, trouble, everywhere! And
who would have thought there would come trouble between her and
Howard, such good friends as they had been now almost two years--two
wonderful years! And again her weary brain would beat over the
question, what had been the matter? What made Howard act that way?
Surely nothing she could have done.

CHAPTER XXIX

Meantime Allison was dashing over fallen trees, climbing rocks, and
pushing his way between tangled vines and close-grown laurel, up and
up through the college woods, and across country in the direction of
the quarry, a still, wonderful place like a cathedral, with a deep,
dark pool at the bottom of the massive stone walls. There were
over-arching pines, hemlocks, and oaks for vaulted roof with the
fresco of sky and flying cloud between. It was a wonderful place. Once
when they had climbed there together and stood for a long time in
silence watching the shadows on the deep pool below, looking up to the
arching green, and listening to the praisings of a song sparrow up
above in some hidden choir, Jane had said that this was a place to
come and worship--or to come when one was in trouble! A place where
one might meet God! He had looked down at her sweet face upturned
searching for the little thrilling singer, and had thought how sweet
and wonderful she was, and how he wanted to tell her so, and would
some day, but must not just yet. He hadn't thought much about what she
was saying--but now it came back--and he knew that she must have gone
here with her trouble.

He need not have worried about the quarry and the deep, dark pool. He
kept telling himself all the way up that he need not, but when he
reached the top and came in sig