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He arranged a pile of wood in front of the stove and covered it with a blanket which he pulled from one of the bunks Then, still on his knees, he drew the cane chair close to the fire and covered it with a second blanket A few moments later Marette was tucked comfortably in this chair, with her bare feet on the blanketed pile of wood Kent opened the stove door Then he extinguished one of the s birch illuave a subdued flush to the girl's face Her eyes seeht And when he had finished, she reached out a hand, and for an instant it touched his face and his wet hair so lightly that he sensed the thrilling caress of it without feeling its weight

"You are so good to ht there was a little choking note in her throat

He had seated himself on the floor, close to her chair, with his back to the wall "It is because I love you, Gray Goose," he replied quietly, looking straight into the fire

She was silent She, too, was looking into the fire Close over their heads they heard the beating of the rain, like a thousand soft little fists pounding the top of the cabin Under the of the scow as it responded to the twists and vagaries of the current that was carrying the away fro in her hair; it treht in the shi back in his bungalow roolorious hair, so near to hiht have touched it with his lips The thought brought him no horror For even as he looked, one of her hands crept up to her cheek--the shtly as a bit of thistle-down--and he knew that two hands like that could not have killed afor life when he died

And Kent reached up, and took the hand, and held it close in his own, as he said, "Little Gray Goose, please tell me nohat happened in Kedsty's room?"