A ROMANCE OF -OUR LAKE" 159 



der ; so no excuse would be needed for her to carry out 

 the second part of the trysting agreement made with her 

 by old Nicholas. When the sun had swung its course 

 around to the back of Bald Mountain she pushed her 

 canoe silently into the lake. She deftly steered it 

 around the shore, which was one mass of overhanging 

 green foliage. About midway of the lake a large 

 spring gushes out from the side of the mountain, form- 

 ing quite a respectable stream before it reaches the 

 lake. Intuitively she pushed the bow of her canoe into 

 this recess, and there, indeed, was her long-expected 

 lover, seated in his canoe awaiting her coming. With- 

 out any other form of introduction than simply hold- 

 ing up his right hand and showing her the token upon 

 the third finger, they rushed into each other's arms. 

 Then he told her how he had reached Mctau Lake 

 some four days before, how he had secreted his canoe 

 and how he had climbed Bald Mountain and how he 

 had slept upon its peak close by the green firs upon 

 the table rock and how the mist for four successive 

 mornings had hung over the brow of the mountain and 

 prevented his signal from being seen, how he had 

 striven to see her and how he had climbed trees to 

 watch her, and then how disappointed he was that each 

 day found him no nearer his love quest than before. 

 Then, when the mist cleared away on the morning of 

 this day of their meeting, he told her how enraptured 

 he was to realize that she had recognized his signal, to 



