If, as she believed, it was only a boyish fancy, she would laugh him out of it with that camaraderie which had always existed between them.

A half motherly sympathy, albeit born quite as much from a contemplation of his beautiful yearning eyes as from his interesting position, lightened the smile with which she greeted him.
"So you contrived to throw over your stupid business and join us, after all," she said; "or was it that you changed your mind at the last moment ?" she added mischievously.

"I thought only we women were permitted that!" Indeed, she could not help noticing that there was really a strong feminine suggestion in the shifting color and slightly conscious eyelids of the young fellow.
"Do young girls always change their minds ?" asked George, with an embarrassed smile.
"Not, always; but sometimes they don't know their own mind--particularly if they are very young; and when they do at last, you clever creatures of men, who have interpreted their ignorance to please yourselves, abuse them for being fickle." She stopped to observe the effect of what she believed a rather clear and significant exposition of Jessie's and George's possible situation.

But she was not prepared for the look of blank resignation that seemed to drive the color from his face and moisten the fire of his dark eyes.
"I reckon you're right," he said, looking down.
"Oh! we're not accusing you of fickleness," said Christie gayly; "although you didn't come, and we were obliged to ask Mr.Hall to join us.

I suppose you found him and Jessie just now ?" But George made no reply.