, after all, and that
given the opportunity he believed, indeed, he knew, that he would show
the same partiality.

He was not quite ready to face the old factor as yet; before that came
about he wanted to be by himself and look the matter calmly in the face,
so as to decide once and for all, though deep down in his soul the boy
knew that this self-scrutiny must be pretty much of a farce, since he
would never be content to go away now and see this cunning little fairy
cousin no more.

Still, he did not want Alexander Gregory to come in suddenly and find
him there, so he considered that, having made the acquaintance of
Jessie, he had better leave.

If she chose she could tell the old man of his visit and that would
break the matter gently, so that when it came time for Owen to face his
grandfather the factor would be prepared to extend the olive branch, if
so inclined.

"Now I must be going, Cousin Jessie; I'm glad to have made the
acquaintance of your wonderful dolly, but more than that to know you,
and I hope to see you again tomorrow. Kiss your dolly for me when she
wakes, won't you?" he said, with another of those smiles that had quite
won the heart of the demure little maid.

"Why, of course, if you give me one for her," she remarked, without the
slightest affectation, and as if it were the most natural thing for one
cousin to thus salute another on parting.

Well, he did, with the greatest pleasure he had ever known without any
exception, and if the kiss were a bit bunglingly given that could be
excused on the plea of lack of experience.

And with the pressure of those rosebud lips against his went the last
lingering gleam of Owen's former resolution to hold resentment against
the factor, because of his harsh treatment of the mother whose memory he
treasured.

So he went out again into the night air, but it was no longer the same
Owen as of yore who looked up to the star-bedecked sky--many a time and
oft he had found sighs welling from his heart as he contemplated the
heavens and speculated upon what little of hope the future held for
him; but now he was thrilled with joy and peace such as he had never
known.

He sauntered around for a time trying to collect his thoughts, but there
were so many things to distract his attention within the great stockade
that he concluded it would be advisable to walk outside, where he could
be really alone with his reflections.

Before doing so, however, he could not re