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“You know,” he said, “I don’t like this any more than you do. I’ve got forty-two mosquito bites on my left arm.”

He waited, as if for a reply; but getting none he evidently retreated. The sound of rustling leaves and crackling twigs grew fainter, fainter still, died away altogether. We turned then with one accord and gazed through the dark arches of the forest. A glowing star was retreating there–a smouldering fire, that seemed to move slowly and with an appearance of dejection.

It was the second time Aggie and I had seen fire thus carried through the wood; but whereas about the kettle there had been a glow and radiance that was almost triumphant, the brand we now watched seemed smouldering, dejected, ashamed. Even Tish felt it.

“The wretch!” she exclaimed. “Daring to come here like that! No wonder he’s ashamed.”

But Aggie, who is very romantic, sat staring after the distant torch.

“Mr. Wiggins suffered so from mosquitoes,” she said softly.

IV

The next morning we found more fish awaiting us, and on the smooth sand of the beach was a message written with a stick:–

If you will leave a wire hairpin or two on this stone I can get bigger fish. What do you mean to do with all those rabbit skins?

(Signed) P.

Tish was touched by the fish, I think. She smoothed off the sand carefully and wrote a reply:–

Here are the hairpins. Thank you. Do you want the rabbit skins?

L.C.

All day we were in a state of expectancy. The mosquitoes were very bad, and had it not been for the excitement of the P—- person I should have given up and gone home. I wanted mashed potatoes and lima beans with butter dressing, and a cup of hot tea, and muffins, and ice–in fact, I cannot think of anything I did not want, except rabbits and fish and puffballs and such blackberries as the birds did not fancy. Although we were well enough–almost too well–the better I felt the hungrier I got.

Tish thought the time had now come to rest and invite our souls. She set the example that day by going out on a flat rock in the lake and preparing to think all the things she’d been waiting most of her life to consider.

“I am ready to form my own opinions about some things,” she said. “I realize now that all my life the newspapers and stupid people and books have formed my opinions. Now I’m going to think along my own lines. Is there another life after this? Do I really desire the suffrage? Why am I a Baptist?”

Aggie said she would like to invite her soul that day also, not to form any opinions,–Tish always does that for her,–but she had to get some clothes in September and she might as well think them out.

So it happened that I was alone when I met the P—- person’s young woman.

I had intended to wander only a short way along the trail, but after I had gone a mile or two it occurred to me as likely that the spring-wagon driver would come back that way before long out of curiosity, and I thought I might leave a message for him to bring out some fresh eggs and leave them there. I could tell Tish I had found a nest, or perhaps, since that would be lying, I could put them in a nest and let her find them. I’d have ordered tea, too, if I could have thought of any way to account for it.

“I’m going to do some meditating myself to-day,” I remarked, “but I think better when I’m moving. If I don’t come back in an hour or so don’t imagine I’ve been kidnaped.”

Tish turned on her stone and looked at me.

“You will not be kidnaped,” she said shortly. “I cannot imagine any one safer than you are in that costume.”