he pride,
affection, and eagerness of the words; in the tones of the elder man's
voice rang echoes of adoration, hope, fear, and disappointment. The
millowner, however, speedily put them all to rout by crying heartily:

"Well, well! This seems to be a Fernald reunion!"

"Grandfather! Are you here?" cried the boy in the chair, extending his
thin hand with the vivid smile Ted so well remembered.

"Indeed I am! Young Turner and I were just speaking of you. I told him
you were coming to see him some day."

Laurie glanced toward Ted.

"It is nice of you to let me come and visit you," he said, with easy
friendliness. "What a pretty place you have and how gay the flowers
are! And the river is beautiful! Our view of it from Pine Lea is not
half so lovely as this."

"Perhaps you might like to sit here on the platform for a while,"
suggested Ted, coming forward rather shyly and smiling down into the
lad's eyes. Laurie returned the smile with delightful candor.

"You're Ted Turner, aren't you?" inquired he. "They've told me about
you and how many things you can do. I could not rest until I had seen
the shack. Besides, Dad says you have some books on electricity; I want
to see them. And I've brought you some of mine. They're in a package
somewhere under my feet."

"That was mighty kind of you," answered Ted, as he stooped to secure
the volumes.

"Not a bit. My tutor, Mr. Hazen, got them for me and some of them are
corking--not at all dry and stupid as books often are. If you haven't
seen them already, I know you'll like them."

How easily and naturally it all came about! Before they knew it, Mr.
Fernald was talking, Mr. Clarence Fernald was talking, Laurie was
talking, and Ted himself was talking. Sitting there so idly in the
sunshine they joked, told stories, and watched the river as it crept
lazily along, reflecting on its smooth surface the gold and azure of
the June day. During the pauses they listened to the whispering music
of the pines and drank in their sleepy fragrance. More than once Ted
pinched himself to make certain that he was really awake. It all seemed
so unbelievable; and yet, withal, there was something so simple and
suitable about it.

By and by Mr. Clarence rose, stretched his arms, and began boyishly to
skip stones across the stream; then Ted tried his skill; and presently,
not to be outdone by the others, Grandfather Fernald cast aside his
dignity and peeling off his coat joined in the sport.