Greetings  over  at  the  House,  she  returned  to  sit
with  him.  As  she  passed  down  the  hill,  she  stole  a
glance  toward  Marah's  cottage.  She  had  heard
Antonio  tell  Pepito  that  he  and  Paul  were  going
to  the  lumber  camp  tomorrow  to  return  Saturday
morning.  Then  he  must  be  at  Eldhurst  now


THIS  WAS  A  MAN.  293

She  colored  angrily  and  walked  rapidly  on  to  the
door  of  the  open  church.  Here  she  was,  fresh  from
a  gay  social  season  in  the  East,  enriched  by  new
friends  and  a  broader  experience,  with  the  wide
world  of  Music  spread  out  to  invite  her  future —
here  was  she,  at  home  but  a  few  hours,  staring  up  at
the  hut  he  called  home,  sighing  like  some  love-sick
kitchen-maid,  asking  herself  as  to  the  whereabouts
of  one  who —  She  banged  the  vestry  door  with
something  of  her  old-time  vehemence.
In  the  dim  church,  she  paused  to  draw  from  her
pocket  a  crumpled  letter  sheet,  traced  in  a  delicate
German  hand:


"  You  will  comeback  to  us,  Rose  of  the  West,  for
what  were  life  without  you  ?  A  year  more  here
for  us  both,  then  to  mein  loved  Berlin — and  then  ?
God  be  thanked,  your  '  No  '  was  qualified.  You  will
try  to  love  me,  you  said.  Relent  and  let  me  come
to  you  there  in  your  big  West  so  I  may  help  you  to
try.
Ah,  we  were  all  so  proud  of  you  last  night.  Your
voice  was  superb.  Living  or  dying,  I  shall  hear  it.
