ess upon Gerty's hair Each
brilliant red strand he noticed, appeared to leap instantly into life
and colour.

It was pure effect, a mere creation of changing light and shade and yet,
as he looked, he was aware of a sudden tremor in his blood. The time had
been when Gerty had rather liked him, he remembered--or was it, after
all, merely that he had exaggerated the subtle suggestion in her look?
Something had passed between them--just what it was, he could hardly
recall with distinctness--a mere fervent glance, perhaps a half spoken
phrase, or at most a cousinly kiss which had contained the passion of a
lover. The incident had passed, and though he told himself now that it
had vanished entirely from his memory, he felt that it had left behind a
vague longing that it might some day occur again.

"I can't for the life of me remember what it was, nor how it happened,"
he thought. "It was out of the question, of course, that I should fall
in love with Perry's wife--and yet, by Jove, I'd like to know what she
felt about it all. I'm glad," he added earnestly after a moment, "that
Laura doesn't happen to be the flirtatious kind." Nevertheless he
continued to wonder, as he looked at the sunlight on Gerty's hair, if
there could have been, after all, a grain of truth in those hints she
had so carelessly let fall.

* * * * *

Early in August Laura was summoned home by the illness of Angela; and
Kemper, after a few days spent with her in the city, started upon a
yachting cruise which occupied him for two weeks. On the day of his
return, when as yet he had not seen Laura he accidentally ran across
Adams shortly before the luncheon hour.

"Look here, old chap, let's lunch together at the club," he suggested,
adding with a laugh, "if I let you go now, heaven knows when I'll be so
fortunate as to knock up against you any more."

Adams readily agreed; and a little later, as they sat opposite each
other at table, he showed, as usual, a sincere enough enjoyment of his
companion's society. Though he had never taken Kemper as he said, "quite
seriously," there were few men whom he found it pleasanter to meet at
dinner.

"I wish you came more in my way," he observed, while Kemper gave the
order, with the absorbed attention he devoted to such details, "I don't
believe I've laid eyes on you but once in the last six months."

"Oh, you've something better to think of," returned Kemper carelessly.
"Do you kno