his pleasant company, so
far removed from the conditions of her own life that it was actually, at
moments, as if she were in another country. But forms began to fade,
and, mingled with their going, was the sense that another personality
was thrusting itself into their circle, and, being more solid than they,
was pushing them out. Billy Stark was calling, in his kindly tone,--

"Florrie! wake up, child."

Her eyes came open.

"Yes," she said, "that's what mother was just calling me." She winked,
and rubbed her eyes. "My stars, Billy," said she, "I've been dreaming."

Billy pulled up a garden chair. He looked at her with a tender
consideration. Florrie was pretty tired, he thought. She had worn
herself out with these forced hurryings. Now he had no doubts about his
ability to take care of her, or his wish to do it. Billy was one who,
having made up his mind to a thing, cast care behind him, and if it
climbed up on the saddle-bow, he promptly knocked it off again. That was
why he proposed to be hearty for twenty years to come.

"Shall we turn the key in the door, and be poking over to Bessie
Grant's?" he asked. "We'll call here for your trunks, on the way to the
train."

"By and by, Billy." She leaned her head on the chair back, and regarded
him with her friendly smile. "I haven't waked up yet. What time is it?"

"Five minutes before three."

"No! Electra'll be sailing in five minutes."

"And in half an hour, the reverend parson will be waiting for us at
Bessie Grant's."

"Yes, I know. But let me sit a minute, Billy. I had the most
extraordinary dream."

"Last night?"

"No, no. Sitting here in the sun. And yet I didn't think I'd slept a
wink. Billy, do you remember the day mother stood me in the corner for
going fishing with you, and then, when she found you'd stood yourself in
the other corner, she laughed and gave us cookies?"

"Seems to me I do. I'd forgotten, though."

"So had I. I hadn't thought of it for years. Then there was the time
Jeanie Lake was married and they found out he'd deceived that girl over
in the next township, and Jeanie died of a broken heart."

"What makes you think of it now, Florrie?"

"I remember so well how Jeanie looked through the weeks she was fading
out, before she died. I remember I thought I shouldn't have taken it so.
I'd have struck him on his lying mouth and lived to love another man.
But Jeanie looks exactly like herself now."

"You've been dreaming, Florrie," sa