oom until next month," brutally interrupted Wayne.

"Of course, you would think of that! As we had planned it, Wayne, looking
from his window was to see the beautiful girl--she is a beautiful
girl--gathering dew-laden roses in the garden. Perhaps Captain Prescott,
chancing at that very moment to look from his window, would see her too.
It was to be a beautiful, a never-to-be-forgotten moment for you both."

"We humbly apologize," laughed Prescott.

"Hum!" grunted dear Wayne.

CHAPTER IV

She stepped out on the porch for a moment as Captain Prescott was saying
good-night. The moonlight was falling weirdly through the big trees,
stretching itself over the grass in shapes that seemed to spell unearthly
things. And there were mystical lights on the water down there, flitting
about with the movement of the stream as ghosts might flit. Because it
looked so other-world-like she wondered if it knew what it had just
missed. She had never thought anything about water save as something to
look beautiful and have a good time on. It seemed now that perhaps it
knew a great deal about things of which she knew nothing at all.

"Oh, I say, jolly night, isn't it?" he exclaimed as they stood at the
head of the steps.

"Yes," said Kate grimly, "pleasant weather, isn't it?" and laughed oddly.

"It's great about your friend coming; Miss--?"

"Forrest." She spoke it decisively.

"She arrived this afternoon?"

"Yes, unexpectedly. I was never more surprised in my life than when I
looked up and saw Ann standing there." Katie was not too impressed to
resist toying a little with the situation.

"Oh, is that so? I thought--" But he was too well-bred to press it.

"Of course," she hastened to patch together her thread, "of course, as I
told Wayne, I knew that Ann was coming. But I didn't really expect her
until day after to-morrow. You see, there have been complications."

"Oh, I see. Well, at any rate it's great that she's here. She will be
with you for the summer?"

"Ann's plans are a little uncertain," Kate informed him.

"I hope she'll not find it dull. Does she care for golf?"

"U--m, I--Ann has never played much, I believe. You see she has lived so
much in Europe--on the Continent--places where they don't play golf! And
then Ann is not very strong."

"Then this is just the place for her. Great place for loafing, you know.
I hope she is fond of the water?"

Kate was leaning against one of the pillars, still looking