"Meeting-house." On Sundays it became the "tabernacle." Week-days it
was known as the "schoolhouse," and at odd times it was spoken of as the
"theatre," the "concert-hall," and the "Trigger Island court-house."
In one corner stood the grand piano from the Doraine, regularly and
laboriously tuned by the great Joseppi. Madame Careni-Amori gave vocal
and instrumental lessons here every afternoon in the week, from three
to six. Among the older children there were a number who had voices that
seemed worth developing, and the famous soprano put her heart and soul
into the bewildering task of stuffing the rudiments of music down their
throats.

Ruth stopped just inside the door and looked about her in astonishment.
The benches had been drawn up in an orderly semi-circle about the
fire-place. Beyond them she observed the figure of a man kneeling before
the fire, using a bellows with great effect. The big logs were snapping,
and cracking, and spitting before the furious blasts.

She closed the door and started across the room in his direction.
Suddenly she recognized the broad back and the familiar but very
unseasonable panama hat. Panic seized her. She turned quickly, bent on
making her escape. Her heart was beating like a triphammer,--she felt
strangely weak in the knees. As abruptly, she checked the impulse to
flee. Why should she run away, now that the moment she had wished for so
ardently the night before was at hand? Chance had answered her call with
amazing swiftness. She was alone with him,--she could go to him and lay
her weapons at his feet and say,--as she had said a hundred times in the
night,--"I can fight no more. I am beaten."

But now that the time had come for bravery, she found herself sorely
afraid. A chill swept through her,--a weakening chill that took away
her strength and left her trembling from head to foot. The crisis was
at hand,--the great, surpassing crisis. She found herself hazily,
tremulously wondering what the next minute in her life would be like?
What would be said in it, what would happen to her? Would she be in his
arms, would his lips be upon hers,--all in the minute to come? Was the
whole of her life to be altered in the brief space of a minute's time?

A warm glow suddenly drove off the chill. It came with the realization
that he was building the fire for her,--that his thoughts were
of her,--that he had stolen into the building to make it warm and
comfortable long before she was due to