“I was prepared to go all the way to the house.  Nice of me, wasn’t it?  You know I promised Jerry some day I’d come to see his collection.”

“He’ll be delighted—­Ho!  There’s his whistle now.”  I sounded the familiar call on my fingers and moved toward the cabin, but she stopped me.

“You’re not to leave me, Mr. Canby, or I’ll go.”

“Why?”

“A chance meeting would have been different.  This is premeditation.  Don’t leave me.  Do you hear!”

I nodded and when Jerry came in sight I called him.  He appeared in the path, a basket of wine in one hand, a fishing rod in the other.

“Hello, Roger,” he shouted and then paused, setting the basket down.

“I didn’t know—­”

“A surprise, Jerry!”

“Why, it’s Una!” he cried.  “Una!  What on earth—?”

“I was butterflying, and wandered through.”  She laughed.  “I told you to have that railing mended.”

“The necessity for that is past,” he laughed gayly.  “Oh, it’s jolly good to see you.”

He took her by both hands and held her off from him examining her delightedly.

“It seems like yesterday.  I’m not sure it isn’t yesterday that you broke in and I was going to throw you over the wall.  Imagine it!  You!  You’re just the same—­so different from the sober little mouse of Blank Street.  I believe you have on the very same clothes, the same gaiters—­”

“Naturally.  Do you think I’m a millionaire?”

Three was a crowd.  I would have given my right hand to have transported the cabin and all the gay people expected there to the ends of the earth.  In a moment the woods would be full of them.  I was at a loss what to do, for when they came the bird would take flight, but Jerry seemed to have forgotten everything but the girl before him.  It was a real enthusiasm and happiness that he showed, the first in weeks.

“So you expected to slip in and out without being caught, did you?” Jerry was saying.  “Pretty sort of a friend, you are!  You might at least have let a fellow know you were going to be in this part of the world; where are you staying?”

“I don’t see how that’s the slightest concern of yours,” she said demurely.

“The same old Una!” cried Jerry delightedly.  “Always making game of a fellow.  Do sit down again and let’s have a chat.  It seems ages since I’ve seen you.  How’s the day nursery coming on?  Did you get the last check?  I meant to stop in and see the plans.  I couldn’t, though,” he frowned a little.  “Something turned up.  Business, you know.”

“Jerry is busy,” I put in mischievously, as I sat down beside them.  “He worked Tuesday and Wednesday this week.”

“Aren’t you afraid of injuring your health, Jerry?” she asked sweetly.  “I hope you’re not working too hard.”

He frowned and then burst into laughter.

“Roger’s a chump.  He sits staring at a sheet of foolscap all day and thinks he’s working.  I do work, though.  I’m reorganizing a railroad,” he finished proudly.