“Go on, Henry,” requested the girl, after waiting what seemed an interminable length of time. Her heart was wrung with pity, and she could scarcely endure seeing his wretchedness. “I—I am sorry,” he began slowly, as if with an effort to find words, “that you are to marry—that man. Bess—” rising abruptly and facing her, “I have grave reasons—believe me, for hating him as I do. They cannot be told without injury to—to—” but his sentence was interrupted by the sudden entrance of James and Berenice. “Well! Here are the two pikers!” chided James. “We have been waiting ages for you!” “Henry is not feeling well. Let’s stay at home today.” James gave his sister a packet of letters which she scanned carelessly. At her brother’s request to hurry and see when Davis was coming, she opened his letter. It was very brief. All it contained was a request that their plans be changed and that she come to New York for the wedding, where he would await her. No explanations were given for his request. James saw that the news contained in the letter was displeasing, and taking it, at her request that he read, saw at a glance what was written. “Well, Bess—shall you go?” and he briefly announced the contents of the letter to the others. “James—please send a wire to Mr. Davis that my plans will remain unchanged!” and she swept haughtily from the room. “Gee—I admire her spunk, don’t you, Bee?” said James to the girl, as she hastened after her friend. One day, as Bess and Berenice were wandering rather aimlessly among the pines quite near the house, Berenice exclaimed: “Oh! what a novelty ’twould be to have the ceremony out-of-doors! Here—right here!” Her suggestion had reference to a large, flat rock completely overrun with beautiful, creepy kinnikinick, and resting at the base of a large tamarack tree. The small firs made a dark-green background, and entwined about them hung clusters of clematis, now white with downy, smoky balls. “Yes—it would be pretty. All right, we shall! Just think, dear, only one day more, and then—” “Oh, my! Somehow the time has seemed too short,” remarked Bess, and her friend could not fail to hear the sadness which crept into her voice. Dave Davis had written that his business had detained him much longer than he had thought, but that he should be able to reach _HW_ ranch on the fourteenth. However, on the morrow came a messenger with a letter from Mr. Davis, stating that he could not possibly reach the ranch before the day of the wedding, and that nothing, nothing on earth should prevent his being there in ample time. “I shall explain in detail as soon as I see you, dear,” the message ran, “and cannot express how the enforced delay has hurt me.” “Dear me, Bess; I had hoped to know him intimately before ‘the day,’” said Berenice, truly regretful.