ts. He
smiled to himself as he thought of its soothing effect upon Jake who
had fallen asleep in his chair.

There was no sign of life in the house as he entered. Mrs. Jukes and
the children had gone to visit a neighbour, and Jake was sound asleep
upon the sofa in the sitting-room. Going at once to his little room,
Douglas took his violin out of its case, and, carrying it under his
arm, he slipped quietly out of the house and made his way swiftly down
over the fields toward the river.

He was very hot and it was refreshing to sit under the shade of the
tree with his back against the big ice-scarred trunk. In fact, he was
so comfortable that he had no inclination to play upon his violin which
was lying by his side. It was good to sit there and think. Again the
old lure of the freedom of a wandering life swept upon him, and the
impression the Bentons had made gradually diminished. His eyes
followed several swallows as they darted here and there. What a happy
free-from-care life they must lead, he mused. They come and go at
will, and in a few weeks they will be speeding away to the sunny
southland. Why should the birds have privileges greater than human
beings?

And as he sat there a drowsiness stole over him which he made no effort
to resist. In a few minutes the world of sight and sound was blotted
out, and he slept. He awakened with a start and looked around. Then
he glanced at his watch and found that it was four o'clock, and that he
must have been asleep for about half an hour. What was it that aroused
him? he wondered. No one was in sight, and he could hear nothing. A
sense of loneliness suddenly took possession of him. Almost
mechanically, he picked up his violin and drew the bow across the
strings. At first, he played several old familiar hymns, but ere long
he drifted off into dreamland to the varying fancies of heart and mind.
On and on he played, unheeding time and place. The music varied, now
soft and low, and again rising to grand triumphant strains.

At length he paused, and looked quickly around. A feeling possessed
him that he was being watched. Neither was he mistaken, for a girl at
once stepped forth from behind a clump of bushes and advanced toward
him. He felt sure he had seen her before, but just where he could not
at the moment remember. She was very beautiful, and her face glowed
with animation, and her eyes sparkled with delight.

"Oh, I heard you," she laughingly began.