us sense of some unknown delight ahead, found the eaves and orc

the name. Out there in the orchard gusty cudgels of wind and water were

tunately in a wing remote from Hannah's trot and bustle where save for the monotonous music of the rain, the brush of dripping trees or depressing creaks, there was no noise at all, he had as usual slept too long. And one could nev

Kenny peered into room after room with a fascinated shiver, reading mystery in every sha

trunks in one corner, a great many, and a cedar chest. There should be a cedar chest. It was as essential to an old garret like this as violets in spring or sweetness in a girl's face. The chest was open. With a lo

O'N

m, her startled eyes dark with reproach. Even in his stammering moment of ap

his glance

r to see it. He doesn't know. Everything there in the cedar chest he hate

y, shocked, "why not? It's a beautiful

e girl in a low voic

n a moment of wayward impulse he had slipped up a stairway and blundered on a shrine. He must not make another mistake. The girl beside him was as t

ormented minute of Brian and Garry and John Whitaker. Not one o

h. The softness and f

ot ashame

ooking away, "Certa

an steadily.

y seemed aeons back. They had traveled far. The p

e chest an exquisite old lavender gown for which she seemed to ha

t curious ability to detach herself from custom and tradition, skiff away

would have taken weeks to span, but the trust in Joan's eyes still hurt. If only he could have begun upon a rock, Brian's rock of fa

orry he had lied, sorry, frenziedly sorry that whatever new thing slipped into his life, no matt

nt when Joan had seemed to turn to him for sympathy