The Golden Road

"One day, over a hundred years ago, Ursula Townley was waiting for Kenneth MacNair in a greatbeechwood, where brown nuts were falling and an October wind was making the leaves dance onthe ground like pixy-people.""What are pixy-people?" demanded Peter, forgetting the Story Girl's dislike of interruptions."Hush," whispered Cecily. "That is only one of the Awkward Man's poetical touches, I guess.""There were cultivated fields between the grove and the dark blue gulf; but far behind and oneach side were woods, for Prince Edward Island a hundred years ago was not what it is today. Thesettlements were few and scattered, and the population so scanty that old Hugh Townley boastedthat he knew every man, woman and child in it."Old Hugh was quite a noted man in his day. He was noted for several things-he was rich, hewas hospitable, he was proud, he was masterful-and he had for daughter the handsomest youngwoman in Prince Edward Island.