Page:Jackson Gregory--joyous trouble maker.djvu/167

Rh of the sun, with Steele's diverted mountain stream conveniently near it. But this stream must be crossed before they came to the kitchen. There were hardly necessary but none the less picturesque looking stones making the ford and Beatrice stepped out upon them. As the first turned under her and she threw out her arm, balancing, Steele caught her hand, steadying her. She merely laughed, nodding her thanks, since he had done but the natural, unpremeditated thing and she was determined to play the part of one who loses good humouredly. But for an instant he held her hand thus and, with the thread of water between them, stood looking curiously into her eyes.

"Is it an omen?" he asked quite gravely.

"I don't understand."

He let her fingers slip slowly through his and she merely lifted her brows in careless interrogation.

"A man and a girl standing as we have stood," he informed her, "hands clasped across running water … means something to certain peoples."

"Does it? Just what?"

"A very simple and rather sensible way of getting married!"

Beatrice's laughter, as spontaneous as ever his had been, fell pleasantly on his ears, mingling with the musical gurgle of the water. "You would make it appear, Mr. Steele, that the wilderness is, after all, immensely conventional; that, since I offended it by coming without a chaperone, it takes matters into its own hands. Really, you are