Mr. Winters noted the telltale flush, and slowly shaking his head, remarked, "I don't know, Leslie, about the advisability of leaving you here; you were always inclined to be very philanthropic, and it would be like you to adopt some young man out here, thinking you had money enough for yourself and him, too; that clerk down at the office, for instance, or this kid that was prancing around in eye-glasses." "The 'kid' as you call him," Miss Gladden answered demurely, "has plenty of money of his own, and Mr. Houston seems abundantly able to take care of himself; if I adopt any one, it will be that beautiful girl who waited on you at dinner." "What is that, my dear?" said the old gentleman, brightening, "I noticed that girl at the table to-day; she is remarkably fine looking, and seemed to conduct herself like a perfect lady; who is she?" Miss Gladden, in her enthusiastic manner, began telling him of Lyle, and of the interest she had taken in her, but before she had proceeded very far, the team appeared at the junction of the roads, the men calling Mr. Winters. "Bless my stars, if there isn't the team!" he exclaimed, "well my little girl, good-bye for the present, you will see us both this evening," and having given Miss Gladden a promise that neither he nor his son would betray her secret, he hastened down the road to the waiting team. "Well, boys," he said, stopping to carefully empty the ashes from his pipe on a projecting ledge of rock, "I will have to give you credit for being on hand very promptly; that was about the shortest half hour that I can remember." A loud, ringing laugh greeted this remark, which caused Mr. Winters, who was replacing his pipe in its case, to look up in mild wonder. "That's one on you, father," called his son, while Mr. Blaisdell remarked, "The time evidently has passed very pleasantly." "What is the origin of all this mirth?" demanded Mr. Winters, as he seated himself with considerable dignity. "It seems," said Mr. Rivers, in explanation, "to be because you were so unconscious of the lapse of time; we were delayed in getting together our papers, and it is over an hour since we left the house." "I looked for you at every turn of the road," said his son. "I didn't," said Van Dorn, "I thought he had fallen asleep over his pipe; I never dreamed he was disgracing the whole crowd of us by such open flirtation as that,--I wish we had brought along a chaperon." "Well, gentlemen," said Mr. Winters very deliberately, "all I have to say is, that had you been in my place, the time would have seemed equally short to you, and I don't think there's one of you but would have been mighty glad to have been in my place." "Mr. Winters," said Mr. Blaisdell, "I begin to think you're the youngest man of our party." CHAPTER XVII.