more!"

"Well," Brent flushed, "the line is short and surprisingly simple:
distance from Buckville to the coal, sixteen miles. There was only one
choice of locations: the valley line, where the ruling grade is about
nominal. I'll come past here half a mile--or more, Colonel, if you
desire it--and scoot up the North Fork of Blacksnake, through the
natural tunnel, follow alongside the disappearing stream, and there you
are! A few rights of way are still unsecured, but I've had Dulany out
trying to gather them up. He's known hereabouts, and bargains better
than I."

"Well, well, I am charmed! Dulany is a good man! I take it that things
will soon begin to show in earnest?"

"It depends on what you mean by earnest," Brent laughed. "If
construction work, that doesn't begin till after I've done!"

"Of course, of course! I had forgotten! Where do you cross the pike,
sir?"

Brent looked at him a moment, then slowly began to smile.

"I'm going through the front parlor of my friend Tom Hewlet's house."

"Good riddance," the old gentleman chuckled.

"And," Brent continued, "I fear I'll have to go through the reception
room of one of your friends."

"Why, this is serious, Brent! Whom do you mean?"

"It might be serious," the engineer laughed. "It's a chap named
Potter--very much in love with you."

The Colonel looked grave. "His cabin burned down this spring; I supposed
he had moved away!"

"No, he is rebuilding," Brent casually replied, and glancing slyly
across at the serious face, murmured: "He doesn't think you had a right
to burn him out."

Colonel May sprang to his feet: "The impudence of him, sir!" he
wrathfully exclaimed. "The impudence of him! Why, sir, he grossly
insulted--" and quickly remembering that this insult to Jane must not be
known, added: "insulted me, sir! Of course, I had a right to burn him
out!"

"I'm glad you did," Brent soothingly agreed. "I only knew the facts
yesterday, when he happened to be telling about it."

"Telling about it! What do you mean, sir? What lie could that scoundrel
have invented?"

For a moment Brent looked the excited man steadily in the eyes, and the
Colonel realized that further dissimulation was useless. After this
silent message had passed between them, he said:

"I was resting under a tree yesterday, back from the road. As a matter
of fact, I was trying to write a verse. Dale and Bob came by on
horseback. Potter, who it seems has returned from his long and