nfidentially, "that Raymond told me this morning he was simply crazy
about her, he couldn't wait any longer, and was going to pop the
question to-night. I s'pose there ain't much question about it though,
for I reckon she's as much in love as he, though,--as I said, you
never can tell."

And he little suspected that what he said seemed to Steve the
death-knell to his hopes.

Mr. Follet continued loquaciously: "Raymond's the greatest fellow I
ever saw. Everybody likes him. Why, he's in with the moonshiners about
here hand and glove, and they're powerful offish. Never saw anything
under the cano_pee_ like him. He has big plans too, about some of the
land round here which he says is full of coal. He's looked a little
at the Greely Ridge; he thinks that's the finest piece, but he hasn't
been over it carefully yet--been too much in love, you know," and he
laughed contentedly.

Steve made conventional reply, and admitting he was quite tired, went
to the little attic for another restless, unhappy night.

If the good fairies had only visited his couch and whispered their
story of what was going on under the trees, how sweet would have been
his sleep! But they did not.

Next morning Steve announced at the breakfast table that he must be
leaving the following morning; a few days off from work for pleasure
was all he could take with good grace.

Mr. and Mrs. Follet expressed their regret, while Nancy's eyes were
upon her plate. Mr. Follet was complaining of some sciatic pain, but
tried to throw it off with his usual nervous energy.

"Nancy," he said, "you haven't taken Steve over to Borden's Cave,
which has been discovered since he was here. Why don't you go this
morning?"

"Why, I should be glad to," responded Nancy, and Steve, feeling that
her agreement was upon the basis of the old family relationship
between them, made no excuse, though he did not doubt, with the
fatality of anxious lovers, that the engagement had taken place. The
two started off with Gyp and the family horse for a three mile canter,
and Steve's spirit rose with the exhilaration of it in spite of
himself.

The cave proved to be a most interesting rock formation and when they
had examined it, Steve pointing out some curious scientific facts,
they sat down in the quiet woods upon a fallen tree trunk, while the
horses grazed.

Nancy looked up at him when they were seated, and said naively:

"How much you have learned in these last busy years!"

"