"Worth the effort! Yes, a thousand times! What must it be to see the

sunrise here!"

Lifted out of themselves, they wandered over the rocks, picking the late

flowers which still lingered in the crevices, watching the shifting

beauty of the scene from various points, for a time forgetful of their

trouble, till, looking in each other's eyes, they read the final

farewell underlying all, and the old pain returned with tenfold

intensity.

Seating themselves on the highest point accessible, they talked of the

future, ignoring so far as possible the one dreaded subject, speaking of

Darrell's life in the mining camp, of his studies, and of what he hoped

to accomplish, and of certain plans of her own.

Duke, after an extended tour among the rocks, came and lay at their

feet, watching their faces with anxious solicitude, quick to read their

unspoken sorrow though unable to divine its cause.

At last the little that could be said had been spoken; they paused,

their hearts oppressed with the burden of what remained unsaid, which no

words could express. Duke, perplexed by the long silence, rose and,

coming to Kate's side, stood looking into her eyes with mute inquiry. As

Kate caressed the noble head she turned suddenly to Darrell: "John, would you like to have Duke with you? Will you take him as a

parting gift from me?"

"I would like to have him above anything you could give me, Kathie," he

replied; "but you must not think of giving him up to me."

"I will have to give him up," she said, simply; "Papa dislikes him

already, he is so unfriendly to Mr. Walcott, and he himself absolutely

hates Duke; I believe he would kill him if he dared; so you understand I

could not keep him much longer. He will be happy with you, for he loves

you, and I will be happy in remembering that you have him."

"In that case," said Darrell, "I shall be only too glad to take him, and

you can rest assured I will never part with him."

The sinking sun warned them that it was time to return, and, after one

farewell look about them, they prepared to descend. As they picked their

way back to the trail they came upon two tiny streams flowing from some

secret spring above them. Side by side, separated by only a few inches,

they rippled over their rocky bed, murmuring to each other in tones so

low that only an attentive ear could catch them, sparkling in the

sunlight as though for very joy. Suddenly, near the edge of the narrow

plateau over which they ran, they turned, and, with a tinkling plash of

farewell, plunged in opposite directions,--the one eastward, hastening

on its way to the Great Father of Waters, the other westward bound,

towards the land of the setting sun.




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