as the easy-natured manager put it, other matters, even more important,
were set aside.

"There is much to be done, Derrick," he said; "really so much that
requires time and money, that we must wait a little. 'Rome, etc'."

"Ah, Rome!" returned Derrick. "I am sometimes of the opinion that
Rome had better never been built at all. You will not discharge your
imperfect apparatus for the same reason that you will discharge a
collier,--which is hardly fair to the collier. Your blast-furnaces
expose the miners to as great danger as Lowrie's pipe. The presence of
either may bring about an explosion when it is least expected."

"Well, well," was the good-natured response; "we have not exploded yet;
and we have done away with Lowrie's pipe."

Derrick carried the history of his ill-success to Anice, somewhat
dejectedly.

"All this is discouraging to a man," said Derrick, and then he added
meditatively, "As to the rest, I wonder what Joan Lowrie will think of
it."

A faint sense of discomfort fell upon Anice--not exactly easy to
understand. The color fluttered to her cheek and her smile died away.
But she did not speak,--merely waited to hear what Derrick had to say.

He had nothing more to say about Joan Lowrie:--when he recovered
himself, as he did almost immediately, he went back to the discussion of
his pet plans, and was very eloquent on the subject.

Going home one evening, Derrick found himself at a turn of the road
only a few paces behind Joan. He had thought much of her of late, and
wondered whether she was able to take an utterly unselfish view of his
action. She had a basket upon her arm and looked tired. He strode up to
her side and spoke to her without ceremony.

"Let me carry that," he said. "It is too heavy for you."

The sun was setting redly, so perhaps it was the sunset that flung its
color upon her face as she turned to look at him.

"Thank yo'," she answered. "I'm used to car-ryin' such-loike loads."

But he took her burden from her, and even if she had wished to be left
to herself she had no redress, and accordingly submitted. Influences
long at work upon her had rendered her less defiant than she had been
in the past. There was an element of quiet in her expression, such as
Derrick had not seen when her beauty first caught his attention.

They walked together silently for a while.

"I should like to hear you say that you do not blame me," said Derrick,
at last, abruptly.

She knew what he me