Mrs. Red Pepper

llow a winding lane leading into a deep wood. The luring entrance to this lane had been beyond her power to resist, although the sun had climbed nearly to the zenith, warning her that

ng away into deep shadows, fringed with ferns, and overhung with the dense foliage of oak and walnut. A distant glimpse of brilliant scarlet flowers, standing like sentinels in uniform against the dar

refused to pick them, telling them they were better where they were, and would droop before she could get them home. Then she went swiftly on around a bend in the cart-path, catchin

ecklessly along a vagrant watercourse, seeming to care little when it reached its destination, so that it contrived to have plenty of fun and exerci

rather quickly to its feet, pushing back a heavy, dark lock of hair w

g words at last, after having been surprised out of speech by

only waiting for Dr. Burns, who may come now at any m

es parted abruptly. When they regarded each other after that, it was as two casual acquaintances may exchang

to be at home this minute. Did you walk so far? Mrs. Burns told me you were here, and t

ns and his car are just a few rods away, on the other side of this bit of woods. He has a patie

joy Dr. Burn

her again after a nine-years' separa

e, so full of interest in every livi

ost people who know him, I've noticed, feel in the same way. He

py to be near her. Dr. Leaver, will you tell me what time it is,

s heard from the other side of a cl

e more call before luncheon, an

back, smiling, as he showed

inclined to be still more peremptory with him about it. Discovering now what looked like an intere

the woods!" he cried. "Did this

ng a lane, intending to turn back at any moment, when it ra

you a lift of a mile down the road. We have to turn off there, but you'll be less late for a luncheon that's probably already cold than you would be after walking the whole distance. You won't refuse? You mustn

you can't very well take

-boards, to the imminent peril of the tires and springs. We'll put Dr. Leaver on the running-bo

r Burns was one of them. With all his powers of discernment, he had no possible notion that the two who followed him were not eager to accept this arrangement. The

in highway, and to drive at a stimulating pace a mile down that road. When Leaver took his place upon the running-board he was unavoidably close to Charlotte's knee, and his he

ved by either companion, looked at the head below her, its heavy, dark-brown hair ruffled by the wind of their progress, noted-not for the first time-the fine line of the partial profile, the shoulder in its gray flanne

a cross-road. "If my friend here were quite fit I'd put him down, too, and give him the pleasure o

Leaver, standing, hat in hand, in the road, as Charlotte

and jump in. The lady will excuse you, and I won't, so there you are. Forgive me, Mi

e set briskly off toward home, while the car swept ro

to mention originality and a few other attributes. You don't often get them all combined. Good old family, according to my wife, but al

ft the corner. His eyes, under their strongly marked brows, narrowed a little, as he looked out across a field of

esn't look like a 'has-been' to me. More

n resources she has applied herself closely to the stud

fellows guessing. She looks to me as if sh

no doubt

ut to himself he made the observation: "By the signs I haven't much

her rath

te w

e encountered that manner before, and I'll take warning accordingly. This is a fine day, and it's rather an interesti

wish it, I'll sta

st then being torn to pieces by all manner of disputants, with the issue still very much in doubt. He knew precisely the place Leaver had reached in his reading, and noted, as he got out of the car, the page at which he was about to begin

rmer reader's sentiments. Burns went into the house making with himself a wager as to how far Leaver's perusal of the chapter would have progressed in the ten minutes which would su

ing upon Leaver's knee. Burns took his plac

ink of that chap

rgument, but w

Which

isproved. But he still doubted the evidence of his ears. Either John Leaver was a colder blooded deceiver than he thought him, or his powers of concentration were more than ordinarily great, that he could turn from the contemplation of a subject like the one left at the

o look at Burns with a smile, "are you

's eye, and broke into a laugh. "I s

you have d

ng enough for you to ha

tes. That's long enough to take in the argument pretty th

and discontent. But I haven't done it. You've remained calm where I grew hot. Also you've proved your ability to change th

one, that I hadn't read the chapter, was wrong. I had read it. Your second one, that, after all, I had read

ended in triumph, after all, though to this he discreetly did not give voice. Since he had met Miss Cha