The Highgrader

the Narrows, about a mile and a half from camp. The mosquitoes were pretty bad near the willows along the s

his creel, but though he was fishing along the edge of the deep water, the big fellows would not

f white above the water, and, like an arrow, the trout was off. The reel whirred as the line unwound. Kilmeny knew by the pressure that he had hooked a good one and he played it carefully, keeping the line

as ten o'clock, the limit set by law. He waded as

a day were eaten in camp, so that he had several hours of leisure after the breakfast things were cleared a

chibald Kilmeny, had married the daughter of a small cattleman some years after he had come to Colorado. Though she had died while he

per was of the whirlwind variety. The staid life of the old country, with its well-ordered distinctions of class and rutted conventions, did not suit her at all. At traditions which she could not understand the young wife scoffed openly. Before she left, veiled dislike became almost open war. The visit had never been repeated, nor, indeed, had she ever been invite

th an unreasonable feeling of dislike toward those of his father's family who had failed to get along with her. Some instinct of loyalty which he could hardly define set

lowly, shortening his line as darkness settled over the hills. His luck was rather wo

into the deeper water toward the center of the river. When almost opposite the other he heard a splash not twenty feet away, followed by the whirr of the reel as the trout made for the deep

ale, neighbor," Kil

nd glad. Jack would have known its throb of youthful zest am

el. "Don't make it too easy for him, but

, but the young woman stuck to her work and would not give him any rest. Jack watched her carefully. He saw that she was

lunging down. Deprived of the use of her landing pole, she could make less resistance to the tug of the stream, and the four or five pounds of dynamic energy at the end of her line would give her all she could do to take c

oot slipped from its insecure rock hold and she s

Take yo

I'm all r

th his approval that she had not cried out or dropped he

ABOUT GETTING HIM INTO YOUR NET. THESE BI

earer. Sometimes he would dart away again, but each

panted, "My

fastened the net and brought it round

what I mu

getting him into your net, and be careful the

he rod with her left hand to slip the net und

cried in delight. "He won'

lory is yours. I'll be your

he mouth of the fish. Carrying the trout in one hand and his pole

his heels toward the bank. "He's such a ripping good o

nough back from the river, so that

biggest taken this year so far.

lly did it all myself, didn't I? If you had touched the rod before I had him netted I'

ellows. I saw you were tired. But it's t

er the information that the party of fishermen were miners from the hills. This one went by the name of Crumbs and sometimes Jack. What puzzled Miss Dwight was the difficulty of reconciling him with himself. Sometimes he used the speech and the slow drawl of the plainsman, and agai

o an audacious one now. "I'm glad you l

welled out. "Where

she asked, with a lift

knew perfectly well that it was not his name. B

enough to bring me to dinne

his face like a mask. She could see that he was purposely taking refuge in the class distinctions that presumably separated them. Yet she could have swor

eneath the jaunty cap. The long hip waders she wore so briskly gave her the look of a modern Rosalind. To deny her beauty was easy, but in the soft sifted moonlight showered down through the trees it was impossible for Kilmeny's eyes to refuse her an admission of charm

to face with another fisherman returning from the sport of the night. The man opposite him was rather short and thickset. In

him as Lord Farquhar, a

demanded the young woma

e anything from the measles to

e fish that had been hi

Catch him

d, her ey

nd himself meeting Lady Farquhar, a pleasant plump lady who did not at all conform to the usual stage conception of her part. Her smile was warm for this supple blue-eyed engaging West

ht looked like a young girl. There was something very sweet and appealing in Moya's slim indefinite figure of youth, with

es which shaded deep lovely eyes, satisfied the senses no less than the supple rounded young body which was carried with such light grace. Kilmeny

sight of Jack. He was followed presently by Captain Kilmeny and his sister, the latter a pret

easily, thanks to the big trout and Verinder's obstinacy in sticking to the flies he had used in England with success. There is a type of Englishman that goes through life using the flies he was brought up on and trying to make

at catches the big fish," suggested Miss Dwight, who had jus

dear, and we will," Lo

afford a pair of gloves every e

ith the long clean build one expects to see in soldiers. Long residence in India had darkened his skin to a

y, was being served informally in the living-room. Verinder helpe

believe in you, Miss

and none of the young women of the party could afford to sniff at two millions sterling. It was entirely probable that Joyce, with her beauty and her clear vision of the need of money in the scheme of things, would marry as well as if she had a mother to look out for her. But Lady Jim felt it her duty to plan for India and Moya. She was more anxious abou

. He had been in love with her for years and had asked her just before his regiment left for India the last time. The captain was not rich, but he had enough. It happened too that he was a clean hone

h Verinder but I should have been disappointed in her if she had taken him. If she wil

It's an odds-on chance s

wife had asked impatiently. "Doe

trimony is not all-important to Moya yet. But som

with a smile. "Why do you expect her love affair to be so int

to be swept from her feet into the arms of the man she is ready to love. A sort of

ot. Pity she can

a few years yet for romance. When she grows sensible sh

miled fondly. "You haven't q

s refreshing. This evening his eyes gleamed while the Westerner told of th

ners, I understand. You'll n

is entered for the riding. Th

can ride up in the morning. It will be jolly.

e different from anything you

der interposed. "Great bore looking a

y, Lady Farquhar?" p

go," Moy

d. "But I'm like Mr. Verinder about riding. If he'l

ted, 'm

ean? Captain Kilmeny would have five hours clear with Miss Dwight and Miss Seldon during the

in bed. You've had a hard day and to-morr

erner ro

sit in with us to a game of p

at the camp," the

banker," his h

ealt. The light of morning was breaking before Kilmeny made his way back to camp. He had in his pocke

t down to the river, stripped, and from a rock ten feet above a deep pool dived straight as an arrow into the black water. The swirl of the current swept him into the shallower stream below

wakened the camp by r

! Time to hit the