d a
pleasanter walk, and seen US sooner. I suppose, however, you got off the
stage at the mill?"

"I was not on the coach," said Mainwaring, unfastening the strap of his
knapsack. "I walked over from Lone Pine Flat."

"Walked!" echoed both women in simultaneous astonishment.

"Yes," returned Mainwaring simply, laying aside his burden and taking
the proffered seat. "It's a very fine bit of country."

"Why, it's fifteen miles," said Mrs. Bradley, glancing horror-stricken
at her cousin. "How dreadful! And to think Jim could have sent you a
horse to Lone Pine. Why, you must be dead!"

"Thanks, I'm all right! I rather enjoyed it, you know."

"But," said Miss Macy, glancing wonderingly at his knapsack, "you must
want something, a change--or some refreshment--after fifteen miles."

"Pray don't disturb yourself," said Mainwaring, rising hastily, but not
quickly enough to prevent the young girl from slipping past him into the
house, whence she rapidly returned with a decanter and glasses.

"Perhaps Mr. Mainwaring would prefer to go into Jim's room and wash his
hands and put on a pair of slippers?" said Mrs. Bradley, with gentle
concern.

"Thanks, no. I really am not tired. I sent some luggage yesterday by the
coach to the Summit Hotel," he said, observing the women's eyes still
fixed upon his knapsack. "I dare say I can get them if I want them.
I've got a change here," he continued, lifting the knapsack as if with a
sudden sense of its incongruity with its surroundings, and depositing it
on the end of the veranda.

"Do let it remain where it is," said Mrs. Bradley, greatly amused, "and
pray sit still and take some refreshment. You'll make yourself ill
after your exertions," she added, with a charming assumption of matronly
solicitude.

"But I'm not at all deserving of your sympathy," said Mainwaring, with
a laugh. "I'm awfully fond of walking, and my usual constitutional isn't
much under this."

"Perhaps you were stronger than you are now," said Mrs. Bradley, gazing
at him with a frank curiosity that, however, brought a faint deepening
of color to his cheek.

"I dare say you're right," he said suddenly, with an apologetic smile.
"I quite forgot that I'm a sort of an invalid, you know, travelling
for my health. I'm not very strong here," he added, lightly tapping
his chest, that now, relieved of the bands of his knapsack, appeared
somewhat thin and hollow in spite of his broad shoulders. His voice,
too, had becom