“Do you remember your promise about these violets?” asked he.  “To-morrow is Edith’s birthday, and if I’d put them special delivery on the morning train, she’d get them in the late afternoon.  They ought to keep that long.  She leaves for the North next day.”

“Of course, you may have them,” said Elnora.  “We will quit long enough before supper to gather a large bunch.  They can be packed so they will carry all right.  They should be perfectly fresh, especially if we gather them this evening and let them drink all night.”

Then they went back to hunt Catocalae.  It was a long and a happy search.  It led them into new, unexplored nooks of the woods, past a red-poll nest, and where goldfinches prospected for thistledown for the cradles they would line a little later.  It led them into real forest, where deep, dark pools lay, where the hermit thrush and the wood robin extracted the essence from all other bird melody, and poured it out in their pure bell-tone notes.  It seemed as if every old gray tree-trunk, slab of loose bark, and prostrate log yielded the flashing gray treasures; while of all others they seemed to take alarm most easily, and be most difficult to capture.

Philip came to Elnora at dusk, daintily holding one by the body, its dark wings showing and its long slender legs trying to clasp his fingers and creep from his hold.

“Oh for mercy’s sake!” cried Elnora, staring at him.

“I half believe it!” exulted Ammon.

“Did you ever see one?”

“Only in collections, and very seldom there.”

Elnora studied the black wings intently.  “I surely believe that’s Sappho,” she marvelled.  “The Bird Woman will be overjoyed.”

“We must get the cyanide jar quickly,” said Philip.

“I wouldn’t lose her for anything.  Such a chase as she led me!”

Elnora brought the jar and began gathering up paraphernalia.

“When you make a find like that,” she said, “it’s the right time to quit and feel glorious all the rest of that day.  I tell you I’m proud!  We will go now.  We have barely time to carry out our plans before supper.  Won’t mother be pleased to see that we have a rare one?”

“I’d like to see any one more pleased than I am!” said Philip Ammon.  “I feel as if I’d earned my supper to-night.  Let’s go.”

He took the greater part of the load and stepped aside for Elnora to precede him.  She followed the path, broken by the grazing cattle, toward the cabin and nearest the violet patch she stopped, laid down her net, and the things she carried.  Philip passed her and hurried straight toward the back gate.

“Aren’t you going to——?” began Elnora.

“I’m going to get this moth home in a hurry,” he said.  “This cyanide has lost its strength, and it’s not working well.  We need some fresh in the jar.”