ght--Midsummer Day!"

"Hush! I won't listen! Please skate faster!"

"You _shall_ listen--to just one thing more. Just halfway between now
and Midsummer may I come to see you--just once?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because--I shall not want to see you."

"That's good," said he steadily. "Then let me tell you that I should not
come even if you would let me. I wanted you to know that."

A little, half-smothered laugh came from her in spite of herself, in
which he rather grimly joined. Then the others, calling questions and
reproaches, bore down upon them, and the evening for Richard Kendrick
was over. But the fight he meant to win was just begun.

CHAPTER XV

MAKING MEN

"Grandfather, have you a good courage for adventure?"

Matthew Kendrick looked up from his letters. His grandson Richard stood
before him, his face lighted by that new look of expectancy and
enthusiasm which the older man so often noted now. It was early in the
day, Mr. Kendrick having but just partaken of his frugal breakfast. He
had eaten alone this morning, having learned to his surprise that
Richard was already off.

"Why, Dick? What do you want of me?" his grandfather asked, laying down
his letters. They were important, but not so important, to his mind, as
the giving ear to his grandson. It was something about the business, he
had no doubt. The boy was always talking about the business these days,
and he found always a ready listener in the old man who was such a
pastmaster in the whole difficult subject.

"It's the mildest sort of weather--bright sun, good roads most of the
way, and something worth seeing at the other end. Put on your fur-lined
coat, sir, will you? and come with me up to Eastman. I want to show you
the new shop."

Mr. Kendrick's eye brightened. So the boy wanted him, did he? Wanted to
take him off for the day, the whole day, with himself. It was pleasant
news. But he hesitated a little, looking toward the window, where the
late March sun was, surely enough, streaming in warmly. The bare
branches outside were motionless; moreover, there was no wind, such as
had prevailed of late.

"I can keep you perfectly warm," Richard added, seeing the hesitation.
"There's an electric foot-warmer in the car, and you shall have a heavy
rug. I'll have you there in a couple of hours, and you'll not be even
chilled. If the weather changes, you can come back by train. Please
come--will you?"

"I believe I will, Dick, if you'll not d