"About your age."

She was delighted. "And will I surely see her?"

"Yes; of course."

"Do you suppose she'll like me?"

Layson, from what he knew of Barbara Holton, scarcely thought she would.
He could not make his fancy paint a picture of the haughty lowlands
beauty showing much consideration for this little mountain waif; but he
did not say so. He answered hesitatingly, and she noticed it.

"You don't think she'll like me!" she exclaimed.

"I didn't say so. Certainly she'll like you. Who could help it, Madge?"
He smiled. It did not seem to him, as his eyes studied her, that anybody
of sound sense could.

She sighed. "A woman could." She spoke with an instinctive wisdom which
her isolated life among the crags and peaks had not deprived her of. "A
woman always can. But, my, I hope she will!"

"She will," said Frank. "She will. And my dear Aunt--oh, you will love
her."

"Miss Aluth--Aluth--?" She stopped, questioningly, still bothered by the
name.