The Highgrader

r bank, where Joyce was fishing fr

Sabbath?" he asked from the bank above, smili

hat had all the allure of lovely youth. "I'm o

say, that's rather

er golden he

You should be a fisher of m

catch one. But if I happened

catch. If he's undersize unhook him gentl

m, was a challenge. "But it isn't alw

ne doesn'

I'm a flirt, aren't you?

hing along that line y

o get angry," she f

can tell you a lot of nice things

ing sentimental. That would never do. It was on the cards that she might h

trouble. It's really

oman made a

yo

hinking

ly are, ar

him bold. This was the first spark of spirit she had shake

st interesting person you know. I think about yo

lly as a bear danced. To create a diversion she whipped back

t careful," Ver

k you?" she as

on your lin

it. Moya might hear,"

h him. He hoped it would be generally understood that he had given up Miss Dw

hear it. I'd advertise it in th

re impudent," la

I'm im

riffles. "There's no law keeping you in this n

eep the trout on the

t amiable derision. "It's

. Some poet chap said th

you good to take a lo

n?" he wanted to

him severely. "I

or me-or

her soft cheeks again.

He put his hands in his trousers

s Seldon reeled up, put her rod against the tree, a

come too. On second though

her shoulder. "You may come if you

, by

trail a stone's

herself. Seems to me she's a bit

that only one girl in the world mattered to him he st

-er-depressed. Wh

ove," Joyce let hers

, but 'pon my word! I

t Mr. V

he was not being made game of, but

emurred with con

Kilmeny

think he's quite

his cousin, th

heaven

n. "You don't think-surely it couldn't b

s mouth open, then discovered that he had be

g flat. It always made him angry to find that they were "spoofing" him. He didn

there's a man with h

he highwayman!"

esence. Moya was sitting on a mossy rock with a magazine in her hand, but she was not reading. By the loo

ked around, and with a little cry got to her feet a

ted to se

, and, without regard to his curiosity or her ow

Moya

bad penny turned up

. She stood straight and rigid, but i

promise. You've lost fa

us anger. "I know you now, sir,"

id it quietly, with just a touch of bitter

to a marble statue the pulse of life. He had known her vivid as a thrush in song, a

found your guilt on you? Wha

he paper in the

es

my guilt this

the perilous and emotional climax which was growing on her she set her will in vain. Why was it t

" she explained, thi

hen I went to look for it this

r. "Come for it!" she r

find it in your purse.

N

re,

ey will be returned to thos

, narrowed eyes. "It will

Within a

oing to r

ue to tell, but pulled up in time.

was to be returned that day someone must already be on the way with it. He had seen h

back to-day?" he mused alou

countenance. She had told more than

say

ashes fell. He nodded, sure t

s," he went on. "But I find I haven't time now. We'll postpone it

she to

the evidence against him, he had cared more to find out what they we

s important. I want to see you alo

ows. Presently she heard the sound of a galloping horse. A minute later she caught a glimpse

re to-morrow, and if he were late for the appointment she must wait. His impudence was enough to stagger belief. She would show him about that.

ive, and the look of him was that which an honest man should have. Had he proved his innocence and been released? Or had he broken prison, an alternative of wh

st he left her quick with questionings. She divined again the hint of a mystery. Some

n too free with this engaging scamp. The rules of her set prescribed a straight and narrow road in which she must walk. The open fields beyond the hedges might blossom with flowers, but there could be no dalliance in them for her. She was to know only such people as had the password, only