It was a favourable afternoon for fishing, and not pleasant to reflect that her amusement must be deferred at the bidding of the girl from the ranch.

Then she decided that as Alton would not have received the message had he come when she expected him, it would not make any great difference if he did not hear it until their return.

Miss Deringham did not remember by what reasoning she arrived at that result, but it seemed to her distinctly more fitting that Miss Townshead should be the one to wait.
Ten minutes later Alton rode up at a gallop.

"Sorry I couldn't come before, but I was over at Thomson's borrowing a new trolling spoon," he said.

"Jimmy's too slow for anything, and I had to look at a span of oxen he'd been buying." "It seems to me that leisureliness is a characteristic of the country," said the girl.
Alton glanced at her with a faint twinkle in his eyes.