"Thunder!" again under his breath.

They followed a rough little trail past stumps where nasturtiums
and alyssum mingled with the underbrush, and were in the redwoods,
and at the brookside. Peter saw a slender girl in pink pushing a
plank about with a pole. She turned in surprise to face him.

"Cherry!" he said, and as Alix laughed delightedly, he gave his
wife a glance, and said, "You liar!"

Cherry came up to him, and he took both her hands, and after a
second of hesitation kissed her. She freed one hand to put it on
his shoulder, and, standing so, she seriously returned his kiss.
For a moment his arm encircled her waist; he had forgotten how
blue her eyes were, with just a film of corn-coloured hair
loosened above them, and what husky, exquisite, childish notes
were in her voice.

"Cherry--this is the nicest thing that has happened for a long,
long while!" he said.

"You and Alix are angels to let me come!" Cherry answered, as they
turned, and with laughter and eager, interrupted talking went back
to the house.

"And how do you think your big sister looks?"

"Oh, Alix is wonderful!" Cherry said. Indeed she had been looking
at Alix with secret surprise and admiration since her arrival.
Alix had always been different from Cherry, but in her own way she