any too greatly pleased with such an alliance, even though it made for their cousin's happiness. And still, on the other hand, there was certainly something in the wind in their direction. It was perfectly evident that they had made their call for the express purpose of trying to inveigle him into taking McKnight into his home; and what would be the object other than that he might, for some purpose, be in the vicinity of his neighbor? And also, it was plainly evident that they had some reason for invading the ridge opposite; and surely Kat's cruel curiosity merely to see a pitifully malformed and idiotic child, would not make girls of their type undertake so difficult a feat as the scaling of that rugged mountain side.
Under the spur of Dick's enlivened spirits and more vital outlook, his work began once more to move along at its accustomed pace; until again it occupied the center of the stage during his working day, and the problems of his neighbor were relegated to his more relaxed hours. Also, he had betaken himself to the practice of a noontime walk down the trail after luncheon, before going back to tackle the afternoon's work. And it was upon his return from such a walk one day that he noticed, in passing his neighbor's garden, that the old grandmother was out in the yard superintending the transplanting of some large ferns from the ground into baskets for the lanai, and that Fong was grum-
