cruise of the mail-boat in May, to be
precise, Dickie Blue carried his Majesty's mail, once a fortnight, by
government contract, from the railroad at Bottom Harbor to Scalawag
Run and all the harbors of Whale Bay. It was inevitable, therefore,
that he should be aware of the communication addressed to Miss Peggy
Lacey of Scalawag Run; and acutely aware of it he was--the
communication and the little box that seemed to accompany it. From
Bottom Harbor to All-in-the-Way Island, he reflected occasionally upon
the singular circumstance. Who had sent a gift to Peggy Lacey from St.
John's? Could it have been Charlie Rush? Charlie Rush was in St.
John's to ship for the ice with the sealing fleet. Pausing on the
crest of Black Cliff to survey the crossing to Scalawag Run, he came
to a conclusion in relation to Peggy Lacey's letter that was not at
all flattering to his self-esteem.

The letter mystified Dickie Blue--the author of the communication; but
he had no difficulty in surmising the contents of the box to his own
satisfaction.

"'Tis a ring," he determined.

By that time the day was near spent. Dusk would fall within the hour.
Already the wide flare of light above the wilderness had failed to the
dying ashes of its fire. Prudence urged a return to the cottage at
Point-o'-Bay Cove for the night. True, it was not far from Black Cliff
across the run to the first rocks of Scalawag. It was short of a mile,
at any rate. Dickie could glimpse the lights of the Scalawag
hills--the folk were lighting the lamps in the kitchens; and he fixed
his eyes on Peggy Lacey's light, in the yellow glow of which, no
doubt, pretty Peggy was daintily busied with making a supper of no
dainty proportions; and he cocked his head and scowled in
deliberation, and he stood irresolute on the brink of the cliff,
playing with the temptation to descend and cross, as though a whiff
from Peggy Lacey's kitchen stove had invited and challenged him over.
It was not so much the visionary whiff of Peggy Lacey's supper,
however, that challenged his courage: it was Peggy Lacey's letter in
the pack on his back, and Peggy Lacey's suggestive packet, that
tantalized him to reckless behavior. Ah-ha, he'd show Peggy Lacey what
it was to carry the mail in a way that a man should carry it! He'd put
the love-letter an' the ring in her hand forthwith. His Majesty's mail
would go through that night.

"Ha!" he gloated. "I'll further her courtship. An' that'll settle her,
e