The Heather-Moon

uckle. It seemed to Aline West, as she went alone to meet Somerled, that night distilled a special perfume in the dew-filled cups of the flowers, sweet as unspoken love. S

s he liked so much on shipboard, the one she had worn the last night, when he told her his life-story ... might not the thing that she desired happen? She encouraged herself by saying, "Why not?"

ate already ...

ing hero!" she cri

was wrapped in a cloak. It had a flat pancake on its head for a hat. What could it be, and mean? The idea darted into Aline's mind that there

t to you at last, and I've brought a visitor for the nig

t her worst instead of her best, as if she had tumbled off a bank of flowers in her prettiest frock into a bog. She longed to be cold and snappy and disagreeable, as a wife may safely be to a husband when he has blundered, and as she had often been to Jim in his brief day; but Somerled was not her husband, and certainly never would be u

following with a suit-case-Aline's eyes made the most of the starlight, that she might read the mystery and know the worst. The worst was very

claimed Somerled. "This is Miss MacDonald

to meet her." She held out her hand, and the gir

tirely satisfactory to Somerled in every way, in all situations, no matter how trying, and thus perhaps save the ship. Why not? Many men of thirty-four were bored with girls, and Somerled must have been bored by them already in their thousands.

had any children," Aline went on, as she sho

"and she doesn't know she's got me y

and proprietary air which stabbed Aline's feelings as with little sharp pins. No, whatever e

found me in the railway station. I've run away from home, and he

ly romantic, like most things that contrive to happen to Mr. Somerled, althou

ed complicated. Nevertheless, he felt that he had done the only thing possible, and so far from having regrets, he had a curious sense of elation tha

rough America some ten or twelve years ago," he said. "You'll be amused,

type, who had been run after and spoilt, surely didn't fall in love at sight. It was going to prove no more than an annoying incident, this bringing home of a strange girl, who mightn't be so desperately pretty, anyh

arlight. Aline tried to think that she was the weirdest frump in the world, and absolutely impossible as a fascinator; but

erled attended to business in London, and she had been looking forward to her friend's comments upon this drawing-room. She had imagined his exclaiming: "You've made it look like yourself!" But the girl had

ion of everything she saw. Her eyes were very bright and big, her young, red lips a little apa

kes me feel I must take off this horrid cloak and tam, not to be a blot. May I take the

alid enough, it would have been of no use, for without awaiting permission, which she took as a matter of course, the weird creature had whipped off her gre

ese bowls. Aline ached to snap, "If you've never seen anything as pretty as this, where have you lived?" But that was not the way of Somerled's ideal woman. It would have been better if the stupid thing had praised Mrs. West's looks, thus riveting Somerled's eyes and appreciat

n suddenly uncovered. The daughter of an actress, with the dramatic instinct in her blood! But the idea did not seem to occur to Som

ie as they stood together, she discovered, and she wanted the girl to sit down. "You must both have something to eat," she went on, pulling the old-fashioned bead embroidered bell rope; and tears were close and hot behind her eyes, remember

ed blond woman, with blue eyes and a halo of fair hair and a gentle smile, contrived-of course without meaning it-to make one fe

ore," Mrs. West went on, "this young lady, Miss MacDonald, will spend the night. I think she might have the r

name of our housekeeper at Hillard House. Perhaps you're related,

ald. "I am sorry, miss, but I do not think, I am related to your housekeeper," she replied; and Aline determined to give her a blouse or half a dozen handkerchiefs. She really was a most intelligent person. So intelligent was she that she knew by the feeling in her bones exactly how much Mr

am quite clean," she said. "I washed at h

thing in Somerled which he had not known existed. Whatever it

invitation to supper." He laughed, and Barrie gave him a grateful, understanding glance. He felt as if she were a wonderfully pretty doll which had somehow come alive after he had bought and rescued it from an upper shelf in an unworthy toy-shop-a dear, delightful, untamed doll whi

ready for supper," said Aline to Moore. The eyes of mistre

he came to the door and pushed it open, he half believed that he was dreaming the tall, beautiful, badly dressed girl with torrents of red hair. People in real life did n

tion. It was looking at him, too, almost anxiously, as if it were wonder

ee you both again-and to b

," announced Al

given to you in dreamland or the spirit-world?" Then

, I shouldn't be here." She could answer her own late question now, with practical certainty