ted to say, though it did not affect her in the least.

"I--I want to s-say," the young man stammered, "that you are the
o-only----"

Sammie was suddenly arrested in his protestation of love by Dick's
voice at the door.

"Say, come inside," he called. "It's beginning to rain, and it's
spoiled my ride this evening. It's going to be confounded dull
to-night, so give us some music, Lois, to liven things up a bit."

With an amused smile, his sister willingly obeyed. Sammie followed her
into the house, mentally cursing Dick for his untimely interruption.

CHAPTER IV

A LITTLE CABIN

Betty and old David had a great afternoon out upon the water in the
small row-boat. They were delighted with Lois, and after she had left
them they watched her until she disappeared within the house.

"Isn't she wonderful!" Betty exclaimed, as she at length picked up the
oars which had been lying unused in the bottom of the boat.

"Who is she, anyway?" her companion asked, for it was evident that he
was as much lost in admiration as was the girl.

"Oh, she's Miss Sinclair, Lois, they call her, and her father is very
rich. He is president, or something like that, of the street railway
and the electric light company in the city. Ma knows all about him,
and she has told me a whole lot. He was very poor once, so she says.
He's awful mean and stuck up and won't have anything to do with the
people he knew when he was young. But his daughter isn't a bit like
him. She takes after her mother, so I understand, who was a very fine
woman."

"Does Mr. Sinclair live here all the time?" David inquired. "I never
heard of him before."

"Oh, no. He has a big house in the city. He only bought this place
last summer. Lois has never been here before. She came two weeks ago
and I think she is going to stay till fall. I hope she does, anyway.
Won't it be great to have her here, so we can meet her and talk to her
every Saturday afternoon?"

"She seems to be a very fine young woman," David assented.

"Indeed she is, and she's a nurse, too. She's been away training in
some hospital for several years, and has just got through."

"Why should she want to be a nurse?" David asked. "If her father has
plenty of money why should his daughter want to earn her own living?"

"It's because she's so independent, that's why. She believes every one
should earn her own living, and I guess she's right."

A pained expression suddenly overspread