Very gradually Comet came back to the world of real things around him.

The great eyes opened and the delicate nostrils quivered. There was a slight effort to rise, but close to his ear murmured the voice he had learned to love and obey as an army horse obeys the voice of his master.

"Steady, Comet! Dear, dear Comet, keep quiet. There, old fellow! There!

Steady! steady!"

The ears were turned to catch each tone; the eyes shone with a human intelligence; the nostrils breathed audibly, but the horse lay as quiet as though life had departed, and Constance did not move.

How long the minutes seemed! How far away from human aid that mountain road! How solemn, how silent the great woodland, stretching, stretching away in a vista of glorious colors! Overhead the soft October winds whispered and sighed in the tree-tops; and with each sigh a few brilliant leaves fluttered to the ground-dear Nature's coverlid for some baby growth to be nestled for its long winter's sleep. Far away the crows cawed and called to one another. Overhead, ominous shadow! a hawk circled. And then, as though to dispel a sign so baleful, clear, sweet, exquisite as a voice from Paradise, came the liquid notes of a hermit thrush-a late lingerer whom his mates had left behind when they took flight to sunnier climes against the coming of bitter days.

The notes brought comfort to the girl. She had always loved them. No other bird-call meant so much to her as this, for it was a.s.sociated with some of the sweetest and, yes, the saddest experiences of her life, and now it held a meaning it had never before held. All her life these notes would stand above all others. The experience was, indeed, bittersweet.

She did not know how long she had lain there, for time seemed at a standstill, when along the ground she heard the rapid thud, thud of a horse's flying feet, and raising her head she saw Hadyn returning, Lightfoot in a lather and his flanks heaving. Hadyn flung himself from the horse, which was now too spent to do anything but stand and pant, and hurried to Constance's side. Dropping upon his knees beside her, he drew her into his arms as she rose to her knees from her p.r.o.ne position, though she never for an instant relaxed her hold upon the crop. Comet nickered faintly, but for the first time in his life failed to hear his master's response to that greeting.

Like a weary little child Constance let her head fall, upon the shoulder so near it, and whispered:

"Oh, Hadyn, the minutes have seemed so long to us!"

"My little girl! my little girl! Dear, dear heart!-so courageous, so brave, so strong! So perfect a woman in your tenderness combined with your strength. This hour has shown me what you are to me; what life would be without you. I thought I knew before, but I did not. And you, dear heart?"

There was no answer, but the softly perfumed hair nestled still closer against him. His arm tightened about her, and he said gently:

"I've waited four years for this moment, dear, but I never dreamed of such a setting for it. No words are necessary to tell me what I've won by waiting; but-the Ambulance is not far behind, and will be here in a few moments. My sign and seal, dear. May I claim it now? Then let me hold the crop and you go ever yonder."

Without a word the pure, beautiful face was raised to his, and in that moment Hadyn Stuyvesant felt that Paradise could not be far removed from such lips, for none could be purer or holier, and into his life at that instant came all that is best in manhood.

"Now go, my darling." Constance shook her head and smiled a gentle refusal.

"Please."

"No, dear; not until the Veterinary takes it from my hands. Yours are trembling, and it might loosen. There comes the Ambulance now. It will only be a moment longer."

When the panting horses which drew the Ambulance came to a standstill the Veterinary sprang from it and hurried to the group.

"By George, Miss Carruth, have _you_ done this?" he exclaimed. "Well, you can thank this young lady, Stuyvesant, for saving a valuable horse's life. Now, turn your patient over to me, Miss Carruth, and we will get him into the Ambulance and down the hill as fast as we can. There, that's right. Now, Stuyvesant, get her away from this place. A carriage is right behind us, and you must take her home. What an experience for a girl! Jo, you take charge of Lightfoot yonder."

Hadyn bent over to stroke his pet, and Constance knelt to press her lips to the great neck, then with Hadyn's aid struggled to her feet. She was cramped and stiff, but Hadyn's arm supported her, and more than one pair of eyes followed the girl admiringly as he led her to the carriage which just then drew up.

"Don't give a thought to this, Stuyvesant. We will do everything possible, and Miss Carruth needs you more than Comet does now," the Veterinary called after them.

"I'll have her safely home in twenty minutes!" Hadyn called back.

Neither ever forgot that drive down the mountain. Until the strain was removed the girl did not realize how great it had been during the foregoing hour. Constance was thankful for the sheltering cover of that depot carriage and the strong arm encircling her. Her own strength seemed suddenly to have left her. Only Mrs. Carruth and Mammy were at home when they reached there. Hadyn half carried Constance to them.

"Bress Gawd! what done happen?" cried Mammy, almost taking the worn-out girl in her arms. "Has you done fell off Comet?"

"Hadyn, what is it?" cried Mrs. Carruth.

"She is not harmed, but is nervously exhausted. Will you believe me, and let Mammy put her to bed for a few hours? Go, rest, my darling," he said, taking Constance's face in his hands and pressing his lips to her's.

"Glory be ter Gawd! Come wid me, baby. D'ere's nothin' wrong wid you, I knows. Ef you's done had a fright, _he_ gwine be de bes' medicine bimeby. Go 'long wid yo' boy, Miss Jinny-yo's got one now-an' leave dis hyar chile ter me."

"Constance, darling, tell me first that you are not injured," said Mrs.

Carruth, tenderly taking the girl in her arms.

Constance nestled against her and whispered softly:

"Not hurt a particle, Mother, only a little shaky, and, oh, _so_ happy!

Let Mammy help me while Hadyn tells you," and smiling through her tears the girl was led upstairs by Mammy's ever ready, loving arms.

Mrs. Carruth's eyes followed her a moment, then turned to encounter Hadyn's looking at her with a tenderness she never forgot as he extended his arms and said:

"My little mother! My little mother! Will you let these serve and hold you henceforth? May I be, as dear old Mammy says, 'your boy?' You do not know how I have longed to be that in reality all these years that I have been waiting. Come!"

"In the beautiful days of long ago,"

When all this world was so new and fair, An Angel came from the world above To bestow the gift of all gifts most rare.

And what was this blessing?-this priceless boon, To bring to mortals the greatest good?

Ah! need I whisper that name so dear- G.o.d's precious gift of Motherhood?

Perhaps but once in her life can a woman know a more precious moment than that in which she gives her daughter into the love and keeping of the man she has learned to love, and this mother realizes that he is now her son. The sense of rest, peace, protection that came to Mrs. Carruth when this strong man held her in his arms, and called her by that tenderest of all names, "Mother," pa.s.ses all power to describe. From that instant he _was_ "her boy," for the man ever remains "the boy" in the mother's love, and Hadyn had rich store of Mrs. Carruth's.

Leading her to a settee, with arm still circling her, he told her the whole story. When it was ended he asked gently:

"And can the heart find room for another son, little Mother?"

Taking the fine, strong face in her hands, she kissed him very tenderly, saying:

"I think you have always been that to me, dear. Yes, from the first hour I knew you. I am very, very happy in my newest son, and can trust my little girl to his care with all faith and confidence."

"G.o.d bless you!" whispered Hadyn.

"Who is here?" cried Jean at the door of the library, and running in came to a sudden standstill. Neither her mother nor Hadyn spoke, and for a moment Jean stood motionless in the middle of the room, her eyes turned first upon one face then upon the other, her expressive face changing as her emotions changed. Then impulsively as she did everything, she ran toward them and, dropping upon her knees beside Hadyn, clasped her arms around his neck, and, nestling her cheek against his, cried:

"Now I _know_ you are all mine, and everyone may know how hard I love you, for any girl may love a brother all she wants to."

That was a wonderfully sweet moment for Hadyn.

Does much more remain to be told?

Yes, but that is another story.

THE END.