of Dolly's irrepressible spirits we were all soon on the best of terms.
It was rather late in the evening when I arose to go, promising to
return at the first opportunity. And as I strolled slowly bedward
I came to the conclusion that Dolly, or Dorothy—for that was as
much of her name as I had been able to learn—was the most charm
ing, as well as the most tantalizing girl I had ever come across.
There was but one thing which caused me a pang of annoyance,
and that was the chance phrase dropped by the girl with the letter
for Dorothy, who wanted to know whether " he loved her as well
as ever." It was not jealously, for I wasn't in love with her—
not just then. Yet it troubled me not a little.
" You must be sure to come over tomorrow," she said tome
one evening, a week or more after our first meeting.
"That will not be difficult," I answered. " I find it much
harder to leave than to come."
She made a pretty little grimace, as though to discredit my
sincerity, but I could see that she knew I was in earnest.
" What's going to happen," I inquired, " that my presence is
so desirable ?"
" Brother Tom and some of his friends are going to ride over
from Tylerton awheel, to pay us a visit. I had a letter from
him only yesterday, saying they wouldn't fail us."
It was a most lucky thing that she said those words. They
lifted a ponderous weight off my mind. So it was her own
brothers, and not some one's else, who had written her a letter
from Tylerton. I was heartily glad of it. For I had come to
regard her unknown correspondent as a sort of invisible enemy of
mine, because I had lately discovered that I liked Dorothy very
much. Indeed, even " liked " does not altogether express the
sentiments I entertained in regard to her.
Next morning found me at Camp Chesuncook as early as pro
priety would allow. On the way over I had done a great deal of
thinking. Here I was, infatuated with a girl whom I knew by
her first name only though for that I was thankful, for I could
call her Dorothy,' just as though I had known her all my life,
nstead of a brief yes, very brief part of it. On the other
hand, she called me by my Christian name, also, to " avoid
formality," as she put it. Many and various were the ways I
had tried to discover her identity, but her, companions had been
put on guard, and I dared not ask Mrs, Pingry, who was all the
HER BROTHER'S SISTER