after you, and patch up your rows with your managers, and engage your
maids, nor be known as the Black Pearl's husband, by the Lord, no! I'll
do my own work in the world, and stand and fall by my own merit, if
there's any in me. But kiss me, Pearl, kiss me."

"Then it's the last kiss till to-morrow," she smiled, "for it's past
midnight now."

The morning dawned, a blare of sunlight. Pearl, glancing from the window
just before they ate their early breakfast, could see that bridge was in
place. Both she and Harry were quiet. It was the last meal together in
the cabin, and more than once tears filled her eyes and ran down her
cheeks as she made a pretense of eating. "They're happy tears, Harry,
honest, they are," she assured him. "I guess I'm kind of locoed at the
thought of seeing Pop and Bob and Hughie again. Come on, let's hurry
down now and meet them." She stood up and drained her coffee cup and
then threw her cape about her. "Come on." She held out her hand to him
and smiled.




CHAPTER XV


The sun-flooded hillside showed plainly the path of the avalanche;
blank, featureless it lay, without sheltering tree or rock to diversify
its bald monotony. But it was bare no longer, for the brown earth was
covering her nakedness with a delicate mist of green. Beyond the sweep
of the avalanche the maples were swinging their tassels, and the