The Forester's Daughter

een very seriously embarrassed; but it was evident that Berrie took it all joyously, innocently. Their being together was something which had happened in the natural

illed her mind to the exclusion of unimportant matters like the snow, which was beginning again; indeed, her only anxiety concerned h

ried. "Don't stay out any more. Come

iled on. "Suppose this snow keeps falling?" he retorted. "The Supervisor will not be ab

It won't be very cold," she calmly replied. "It never is during these early blizzards; and, be

ded the fire and watched the darkness roll over the lake till the shining crystals seemed to drop from a measureless black arch, soundless and oppressive. The wind died away, and the trees stood as

nd mother," Wayland said, w

u should have waterproof boots. You never can tell when you may be set afoot. You should always go prepared fo

o always dry my boots on my feet, ot

ter take 'em off and wring out yo

y. When I've been over here a month you'll find me a glutton for hardship. I s

ot," she said, and drew the blanket closer about his shoulders. "Just now

r. I'm not going to write to a single soul excep

the Sup

u've been my board of health from the very first. I sho

pretty tired of things over here. It's one

remark, or rather the tone in which it was uttered, br

it now?" she a

is watch. "Hal

ope he'll be here in an hour, although that trail is a tolerably tough proposition this minute. A

I fire

at

ignal t

ut direction-what he needs is a light to see th

up a torch and

y right here!" she commanded. "You co

ry poor opinio

's probably sitting under a big tree smoking his pipe before his fire-or else he's at home. He knows we're all right, and we are. We have wood and grub, and plenty of bl

replied, heroically. "There's a big log out there that

n the snow," she said. "I always get everything ready the night before. I wish y

havings from a dead, dry branch of fir and put them under the fly, and brought a

s as safe from intrusion as if she had taken refuge behind gates of triple brass. Nothing in all his life had moved him so deeply as her solicitude, her sweet trust in his honor, and he sat long in profoun

," he thought, "I who am only a poor wea

ife. What would Clifford Belden do now? To what deeps

er couch to say: "You'd better go to bed.

yet. My boots aren'

s so that they blazed again. He worked as silently as he could; but the

sleep. I only got up

aid you'

you know. Please go to sleep again." His teeth were

not get chilled. Bring your bed in

necessary. I'm stan

g your bed inside the door. What would I do if you should hav

k the remorseless wind, overcame his scruples, and he

" she said. "Your te

the cold," he stam

and rose in her bed. "I'll get

s," he said. "Please go to sleep. I

last he had nestled into his blankets, she said: "If you d

command his voice, then he said: "That would drive me from the country in disgra

, it is better to carry a hot-water

he said, "no one could have been sweeter-more like a guardian angel to me. Don't

at conveyed to him a knowledge that his words of endear

s sense of guardianship, of responsibility. Lying there in the shelter of her tent, the whole situation seem

hing we can do is to conceal the fact that

dawn, he, too, fell asleep, while the fire spu

rely, the bleak, white peaks began to define themselves above the firs. The camp-birds called cheerily from

desperately till one of the embers began to angrily sparkle and to smoke. Then slipping away out of earshot he broke an armful of dry fir branches to hea

ve your warm bed for the dampness and cold out

his morning? D

in

he insisted, in a tone which indica

ried a bird in my life, but I'm going to try it this morning. I have some water heating for your bath." He put the soap, tow

. "I'm not dead yet," he said, grimly. "An invalid who can spend two such nights

ng; but she greeted him with a touch of shyness and self-consciou

suppose the Super

eriously. "I'd hate to think of him camped

the trail and see? I feel guil

in the mud. No, we'll just hold the fort till

nd good cheer that the night's discomforts and anxieties counted for little. As the sun broke

ere again to-night," s

ly answered. "I wouldn't mind a month of it, only

ou? I was afraid you would. Did you

r to ride up, and then it's all rather exciting business to a novice. I could hear all sorts o

og after I knew you were comfortable. You must have a

or dropped down the timbered slopes of the prodigious amphitheater in which the lake lay. Aga

n in the immemorial way of the hewer of wood and the carrier of water. His fatigue and the chill of the morning wore away, and he took vast pr

d the falling rain as it splashed and sizzled on the sturdy fire. "It's a little like bei

d coffee done to just the right color and aroma. He declared it wonderful, and they ate with repeated wishes that the Supervisor m

sy but lame and tired. Therefor

like a child. "Now you have a good sleep," she

for a few moments listening to the drip of the water

ith snow, and the girl was feeding the fire

her eyes upon him with clear, soft ga

r," he replied,

ned to your father," he said. "His horse has thrown him, or he has slipped and fall

twelve

p and go down there? It is now three o

d better stay right here. It's a lon

it won't do for us to camp here-alone-in t

m done with him-and no one that I really care about would blame u

e answered. "We must reach a telephone and send wo

be blocked; but don't worry. He may have to go round by Lost Lake pass." She pondered a moment. "I reckon you're right. We'd

; but I am anxious to go on. By the

lonesomest cabins on the fore

ided, "we'll go. After all, the man is a forest

ing the panniers and putting away the camp utensils.

tent and started down the trail, carry

clearing. "Should we have le

ng the way at a pace which made him ache. She plashed plumply into the first puddle in the

ily, and he, following in her tracks, could only marvel at her strength and sturdy self-reliance. The swing of

fir and spruce-a dark, stern avenue, crossed by roaring streams, and

this very soon," s

painfully. Still Berea kept her stride. "We must get to the middle fork before dark," she stopped to explain, "for I don't know the trail down there, and there's a lot of down timber just above the station. Now that

spirit he did not possess, "but you are m

ied. "We've got three hours more of it." And

ange could be seen, and behold it was cov

minute." And she set off again with resolute stride. Wayland's pale face and labored bre

lope greasy with mire seemed an almost insurmountable barricade. He fell severa

sion. Here the girl made her first mistake. She kept on toward the river, although Wayland called attention to a trail leading to the right up over the low gra

ff to the right. I reckon that was the highland trail which Settle made to keep out

n his, for she could see that he was very tired, and to cli

d, turning often to be sure that he was following. Once she saw him fall, and cried out: "It's a shame to make y

r arm about him, she drew his cheek against her own, saying: "Poor boy, your hands are cold as ice." She took them in her own warm clasp. "Oh, I wish we

NTED BY AN ENDLESS MAZE

'm not defeated, I'm just ti

u are s

I'm good for another hour. It's

ed out," she said, and there was anguish in her voice. "Your heart is pound

t we are both armed. There's

natural resolution. "We can't stand here. T