alled out Uncle Ike to
the man. He entered the room, and looking somewhat surprised at seeing
Quincy, he said somewhat sharply, "So you two have got acquainted, have
you? I have been waiting for two days to introduce you."

"I am greatly indebted to Mr. Sawyer," said Alice. "When he passed my
door, which was open, I thought it was you and I started forward to meet
you, but I missed my way and was walking directly towards the fire, when
Mr. Sawyer interposed."

"I should have done the same thing had it been me," said Uncle Ike. "So
I don't see as you were in any real danger."

Quincy thought that it was noticeably evident that the Pettengills were
noted for plainness of speech.

"Here are three letters for you, Alice, and here is one for you, Mr.
Sawyer. I thought I would bring it over to you as I met Asa Waters down
to the post office and he said you'd started for home. I'll be down in a
few minutes, Alice, and read your letters for you." And Uncle Ike showed
the man the way up to his domicile.

Quincy arose, expressed his pleasure at having met Miss Pettengill, and
presuming they would meet again at dinner, took his leave.

The letter was from Quincy's father. It was short, but was long enough
to cause Quincy to smother an oath, crush the letter in his hands and
throw it into the open fire. The flames touched it, and the strong
draught took it still ablaze up the wide-mouthed chimney.

But Quincy's unpleasant thought did not go with it. The letter had said,
"Quinnebaug stock has dropped off five points. Foss & Follansbee have
written Miss Putnam that she must put up five thousand dollars to cover
margin. Better see her at once and tell her the drop is only temporary,
and the stock is sure to recover."

Quincy sat down in his easy-chair, facing the fire, upon which he put
some more wood, which snapped and crackled.

"I won't go near that girl again," said he, with a determined look upon
his face. The next moment he had banished Lindy Putnam from his mind,
and was thinking of that other girl who was sitting not six feet from
him. He could hear Uncle Ike's voice, and he knew that Alice's letters
were being read to her. Then he fell into a reverie as the twilight
shadows gathered round him. As the room grew darker the fire grew
brighter, and in it he could seem to see a picture of a fair-haired girl
sitting in a chair and listening with evident interest to a young man
who was reading to her from a newspaper.

T