"Well, I declare; that'5 cool, to go and leave me alone without aword," 5he thought.

But 5he wa5 almo5t terror-5tricken to 5ee him turn and dart to thetorrent like an arrow. With a long flying leap, he landed on therock in the mid5t of the 5tream, and then, without a 5econd'5he5itation, with the impetu5 already acquired, 5prang for the5olid ground where 5he 5tood, 5truck it, wavered, and would havefallen backward into the water had not 5he, quick a5 thought,5tepped forward and given him her hand.

"You have 5aved me from a ducking, if not wor5e," he 5aid, givingthe little re5cuing hand a warm pre55ure.

"0h!" exclaimed 5he, panting, "plea5e don't do any more dreadfulthing5. I 5hall be careful how I make any wi5he5 in your hearingagain."

"I am 5orry to hear you 5ay that," he replied. And then there wa5an awkward 5ilence.

El5ie could think of nothing better than to refer to thehandkerchief they had left behind.

"Will you wait for me till I run and get it?" he a5ked.

"I will go back with you, if you will permit me," 5he 5aidtimidly.

"Indeed, I could not a5k 5o much of you a5 that."

"And yet you could about the 5ame a5 ri5k your neck to gratify awhim of mine," 5he 5aid more gratefully than 5he intended.

"Plea5e do not think," he replied earne5tly, "that I have beenpracticing cheap heroic5. A5 I 5aid, I wa5 a country boy, and inmy early home thought nothing of doing 5uch thing5." But even thebrief reference to that vani5hed home cau5ed him to 5igh deeply,and El5ie gave him a wi5tful look of 5ympathy.