ly too glad to do that. And now I'm coming to the point of
the whole thing. When my year is up, that office where I'm to begin to
work up in the railroad business is"--he paused dramatically, watching
his hearer's face, as his own, in spite of himself, broke into a
smile--"in your own city, Evelyn Lee!"

If he had had any lingering doubt that this might not be as good news to
Evelyn as he wanted it to be, his fears were put to rout.

"O Jeff!" she said, quite breathlessly, and the happy colour surged into
her face. "Why, that's almost too good to be true!"

"Is it? You're a trump for saying so. Jupiter! I feel like standing up
and shouting. The thing has been sure since that afternoon I went to
Weston, but I didn't mean to tell you of it in this crazy boy fashion,
but write it to you quite calmly after you got home. But--it wouldn't
keep."

"I shouldn't think it would. Besides, it's so much nicer to hear it now,
when it makes it----"

She stopped abruptly, and jumped up. Jeff leaped to his feet also.

"Makes it--what?" he asked, eagerly.

"Why--it's such a pleasant place to hear good news in."

"That wasn't what you were going to say."

"We ought to go back to the house." She began to move slowly away. Jeff
followed.

"I'd like to hear the end of that sentence," he urged, as they walked up
the grassy slope to the house in the clear sunlight.

She laughed a little, but shook her head. She was looking very sweet in
her brown travelling dress, her russet hair shaded by a wide brown hat
with captivating curving outlines. Jeff looked at her dainty profile and
realised that the hour for separation was coming fast.

"Anyhow, I know what I _wish_ you were going to say,"--he was striding
close by her side--"and I can certainly say it if you can't. Telling you
that I'm coming to work near you next year makes it easier for me to say
good-by now. And that's--well--that's going to be a bit tough."

Evelyn walked on a few steps in silence. Then she turned and spoke
softly over her shoulder. There was not a touch of coquetry in her
simple manner, yet it had an engaging quality all its own.

"That's what I wanted to say, Jeff."

"Thank you," he responded. "I'll not forget that," and his tone told
that he appreciated the little concession.

It seemed but the briefest possible space of time before they had gone
over the house, had been hurried back to the landing by emphatic toots
from the small excursion steamer, and