She turned from the silent temple on her homeward way. She paused by
the clump of bamboo where so short a time before she had gleefully
tied together two boughs in the name of Merrit and herself. Tiptoeing
to reach the high boughs which Merrit had held for her to tie, she
drew them downward to slip the thong that bound them. After holding
them to her soft cheek a moment, she let them fly apart, while she
closed her eyes and whispered softly:

"Good-by, beautiful love, good-by."