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e of the sky。 In the valley immediately at their feet the waters of the little lake gleamed like a polished shield set in a frame of ebony。 〃That's our lake；〃 said Nora； 〃with our house just behind it in the woods。 And nearer in that little bluff is Mrs。 Waring…Gaunts home。〃
〃Papa；〃 said Jane softly； 〃we must not keep Mrs。 Waring…Gaunt。〃
〃Thank you； Jane；〃 said Mrs。 Waring…Gaunt。 〃I fear I must go on。〃
〃Don't you love it？〃 inquired Larry enthusiastically and with a touch of impatience in his voice。
〃Oh； yes； it is lovely；〃 said Jane。
〃But； Jane； you will not get wild over it；〃 said Larry。
〃Get wild？ I love it； really I do。 But why should I get wild over it。 Oh； I know you think； and Papa thinks； that I am awful。 He says I have no poetry in me； and perhaps he is right。〃
In a few minutes the car stopped at the door of Mrs。 Waring…Gaunt's house。 〃I shall just run in for a moment；〃 said Mrs。 Waring…Gaunt。 〃Kathleen will want to see you； and perhaps will go home with you。 I shall send her out。〃
Out from the vine…shadowed porch into the white light came Kathleen； stood a moment searching the faces of the party； then moved toward Dr。 Brown with her hands eagerly stretched out。 〃Oh； Dr。 Brown；〃 she cried； 〃it is so good to see you here。〃
〃But my dear girl； my dear girl； how wonderful you look！ Why； you have actually grown more beautiful than when we saw you last！〃
〃Oh； thank you； Dr。 Brown。 And there is Jane；〃 cried Kathleen； running around to the other side of the car。 〃It is so lovely to see you and so good of you to come to us；〃 she continued； putting her arms around Jane and kissing her。
〃I wanted to come； you know；〃 said Jane。
〃Yes； it is Jane's fault entirely；〃 said Dr。 Brown。 〃I confess I hesitated to impose two people upon you this way； willy…nilly。 But Jane would have it that you would be glad to have us。〃
〃And as usual Jane was right；〃 said Larry with emphasis。
〃Yes；〃 said Kathleen； 〃Jane was right。 Jane is a dear to think that way about us。 Dr。 Brown；〃 continued Kathleen with a note of anxiety in her voice； 〃Mrs。 Waring…Gaunt wondered if you would mind coming in to see her brother。 He was wounded with a gunshot in the arm about ten days ago。 Dr。 Hudson； who was one of your pupils； I believe； said he would like to have you see him when you came。 I wonder if you would mind coming in now。〃 Kathleen's face was flushed and her words flowed in a hurried stream。
〃Not at all； not at all；〃 answered the doctor； rising hastily from the motor and going in with Kathleen。
〃Oh； Larry；〃 breathed Jane in a rapture of delight； 〃isn't she lovely； isn't she lovely？ I had no idea she was so perfectly lovely。〃 Not the moon； nor the glory of the landscape with all its wonder of plain and valley and mountain peak had been able to awaken Jane to ecstasy； but the rare loveliness of this girl； her beauty； her sweet simplicity； had kindled Jane to enthusiasm。
〃Well； Jane； you are funny；〃 said Larry。 〃You rave and go wild over Kathleen； and yet you keep quite cool over that most wonderful view。〃
〃View！〃 said Jane contemptuously。 〃No； wait； Larry； let me explain。 I do think it all very wonderful； but I love people。 People after all are better than mountains； and they are more wonderful too。〃
〃Are they？〃 said Larry dubiously。 〃Not so lovely； sometimes。〃
〃Some people；〃 insisted Jane； 〃are more wonderful than all the Rocky Mountains together。 Look at Kathleen；〃 she cried triumphantly。 〃You could not love that old mountain there； could you？ But； Kathleen〃
〃Don't know about that；〃 said Larry。 〃Dear old thing。〃
〃Tell me how Mr。 Romayne was hurt；〃 said Jane； changing the subject。
In graphic language Nora gave her the story of the accident with all the picturesque details； recounting Kathleen's part in it with appropriate emotional thrills。 Jane listened with eyes growing wider with each horrifying elaboration。
〃Do you think his arm will ever be all right？〃 she inquired anxiously。
〃We do not know yet；〃 said Nora sombrely。
〃Nonsense；〃 interrupted Larry sharply。 〃His arm will be perfectly all right。 You people make me tired with your passion for horrors and possible horrors。〃
Nora was about to make a hot reply when Jane inquired quietly； 〃What does the doctor say？ He ought to know。〃
〃That's just it；〃 said Nora。 〃He said yesterday he did not like the look of it at all。 You know he did； Larry。 Mrs。 Waring…Gaunt told me so。 They are quite anxious about it。 But we will hear what Dr。 Brown says and then we will know。〃
But Dr。 Brown's report did not quite settle the matter； for after the approved manner of the profession he declined to commit himself to any definite statement except that it was a nasty wound； that it might easily have been worse； and he promised to look in with Dr。 Hudson to…morrow。 Meantime he expressed the profound hope that Mrs。 Waring…Gaunt might get them as speedily as was consistent with safety to their destination； and that supper might not be too long delayed。
〃We can trust Mrs。 Waring…Gaunt for the first；〃 said Larry with confidence； 〃and mother for the second。〃 In neither the one nor the other was Larry mistaken； for Mrs。 Waring…Gaunt in a very few minutes discharged both passengers and freight at the Gwynnes' door； and supper was waiting。
〃We greatly appreciate your kindness； Mrs。 Waring…Gaunt；〃 said Dr。 Brown； bowing courteously over her hand。 〃I shall look in upon your brother to…morrow morning。 I hardly think there is any great cause for anxiety。〃
〃Oh； thank you； Dr。 Brown； I am glad to hear you say that。 It would be very good of you to look in to…morrow。〃
〃Good…night；〃 said Jane； her rare smile illuminating her dark face。 〃It was so good of you to come for us。 It has been a delightful ride。 I hope your brother will be better to…morrow。〃
〃Thank you； my dear；〃 said Mrs。 Waring…Gaunt。 〃I should be glad to have you come over to us。 I am sure my brother would be glad to know you。〃
〃Do you think so；〃 said Jane doubtfully。 〃You know I am not very clever。 I am not like Kathleen or Nora。〃 The deep blue eyes looked wistfully at her out of the plain little face。
〃I am perfectly certain he would love to know you； Janeif I may call you so；〃 said Mrs。 Waring…Gaunt； impulsively kissing her。
〃Oh； you are so kind；〃 said Jane。 〃I will come then to…morrow。〃
The welcome to the Gwynne home was without fuss or effusiveness but had the heart quality that needs no noisy demonstration。
〃We are glad to have you with us at Lakeside Farm；〃 said Mr。 Gwynne heartily； as he ushered Dr。 Brown and Jane into the big living room； where his wife stood waiting。
〃You are welcome to us； Dr。 Brown；〃 said the little lady。 And something in the voice and manner made Dr。 Brown know that the years that had passed since his first meeting with her had only deepened the feeling of gratitude and affection in her heart toward him。 〃We have not forgotten nor shall we ever forget your kindness to us when we were strangers passing through Winnipeg； nor your goodness to Larry and Kathleen while in Winnipeg。 They have often told us of your great kindness。〃
〃And you may be quite sure； Mrs。 Gwynne；〃 said Dr。 Brown heartily； 〃that Larry brought his welcome with him； and as for Kathleen； we regard her as one of our family。〃
〃And this is Jane；〃 said Mrs。 Gwynne。 〃Dear child； you have grown。 But you have not changed。 Come away to your room。〃
Once behind the closed door she put her arms around the girl and kissed her。 Then； holding her at arm's length； scrutinised her face with searching eyes。 〃No；〃 she said again with a little sigh of relief； 〃you have not changed。 You are the same dear； wise girl I learned to love in Winnipeg。〃
〃Oh； I am glad you think I am not changed； Mrs。 Gwynne；〃 said Jane； with a glow of light in her dark blue eyes。 〃I do not like people to change and I would hate to have you think me changed。 I know；〃 she added shyly； 〃I feel just the same toward you and the others here。 But oh； how lovely they are； both Kathleen and Nora。〃
〃They are good girls；〃 said Mrs。 Gwynne quietly； 〃and they have proved good girls to me。〃
〃I know； I know；〃 said Jane； with impulsive fervour； 〃and through those winters and all。 Oh； they were so splendid。〃
〃Yes；〃 said the mother； 〃they never failed； and Larry too。〃
〃Yes； indeed；〃 cried Jane with increasing ardour； her eyes shining； 〃with his teaching；going there through the awful cold；lighting the school fires；and the way he stuck to his college work。 Nora's letters told me all about it。 How splendid that was！ And you know； Mrs。 Gwynne； in the 'Varsity he did so well。 I mean besides his standing in the class lists； in the Societies and in all the college life。 He was really awfully popular；〃 added Jane with something of a sigh。
〃You must tell me； dear； sometime all about it。 But now you must be weary and hungry。 Come away out if you are ready； and I hope you will feel as if you were just one of ourselves。〃
〃Do you know； that is just the way I feel； Mrs。 Gwynne；〃 said Jane； putting the final touch to her toilet。 〃I seem to know the house； and everything and everybody about it。 Nora is such a splendid correspondent； you see。〃
〃Well； dear child； we