"I'm--thinking!" Nella-Rose drew her brows together and nibbled a bit of
corn bread meditatively. Then--quite suddenly:

"I'm coming here!"

"You--you mean that?" Truedale flushed.

"Yes. And the big woods--you walk in them?"

"I certainly do."

"Sometimes--I am in the big woods."

"Where--specially?" Truedale was playing this new game with the foolish
skill of the novice.

"There's a Hollow--where--" (Nella-Rose paused) "where the laurel tangle
is like a jungle--"

Truedale broke in: "I know it! There's a little stream running through
it, and--trails."

"Yes!" Nella-Rose leaned back and showed her white teeth alluringly.

"I--I should not--permit this!" For a moment Truedale broke through the
thin ice of delight that was luring him to unknown danger and fell upon
the solid rock of conservatism.

"Why?" The eyes, so tenderly innocent, confronted him appealingly.