within two weeks. It seemed nothing was
so important as that she witness that ceremony. Dear Harry Prescott, who
would be married on the banks of the Mississippi, close by a certain
place where boats were mended.

CHAPTER XLI

It was hard for Katie to contain her delight in Wayne's generosity when
she found he had left his launch with Captain Prescott. "Now wasn't that
just sweet of father?" she exulted to Worth as they walked together down
to the little boat house.

Worth was more dispassionate. "Y--es; but why wouldn't he, Aunt Kate?
Where would he take it?"

"Well, but it's just so nice, dearie, that it's here."

"You going out in it?" he demanded.

Katie looked around. Some soldiers and some golfers in the distance, but
like the day Ann had come upon the Island, no one within immediate range.

"Watts says she's running like a bird, Aunt Kate. Somebody was out this
morning and somebody's going again this afternoon."

"Maybe she won't be here for them to take!"

"You going to take it, Aunt Kate?" he pressed excitedly.

"Well, I don't just _know_, Worth." She looked up the river. She could
see a part of the little island where she had once pulled in to ask about
the underlying principles of life, but not being able to see the other
side of it, how could she be sure whether a launch ride was what she
wanted or not?

"Father says we mustn't go in it alone, Aunt Kate. Shall I see if we can
get Watts?"

"N--o; that's not exactly the idea," said Aunt Kate, stepping into
the launch.

"Goin', Aunt Kate?"

"Why--I don't know. I thought I'd just _sit_ in it a little while."

So Worth joined her for the delightful pastime of just sitting in it for
a little while.

"I'd rather like to find out whether it's in good condition." She turned
to Worth appealing. "It seems we ought to be able to tell father whether
they're taking good care of it, doesn't it, Worth?"

"I guess I'll go and get Watts."

"I don't know why, but I don't seem able to get up a great deal of
enthusiasm for that idea." Her fingers were upon the steering wheel,
longingly. Eyes, too, were longing. Suddenly she started the engine.
"We'll just run round the head of the Island," she said.

So they started up the river--the river as blue and lovely as it had been
that day a year before when she had cheated it, and had begun to see that
life was cheating her.

"Worth," she asked, "what is there on the _other_ side of that
little islan