should transform
everything to beauty," he smiled. "In a negative way I might feel
complimented."

"It would be so negative. How long will the Colonel and Dale be
closeted?"

"Lord knows. They've lots to talk about. Dale has reached a place where
the Colonel finds him exciting."

"Isn't he a marvel!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, he's a marvel, all right," Brent grumbled. "But his vanity will
surpass his great achievements;--don't delude yourself about that!"

"Well; you're an authority on that condition of life. Do you enjoy it?"

"If you'll give me more reason to be vain, I'll tell you."

She ignored this, and when they were among the cedars he began again;
not caring what he talked about as much as to be talking. He felt that
if he stopped, she might read through his depression.

"Do you remember the last time we were here? You lectured me for
loafing, and shooting woodpeckers. There were other things, but you
couldn't recall them at the moment. I've been doing some right stiff
thinking since then!"

"Retrospection is good for the soul," she smiled at him.

"On the contrary, retrospection makes for hollow eyes, and introspection
is tinged with bitterness. Keep your face to the future if you would
have your soul contented."

"And what is your future?" she archly inquired.

"These coming minutes while you are here with me."

"Really," she flashed him a rather bewildering look, "I did think for
once you were going to be serious!"

"I am serious," he dug the heel of his boot thoughtfully into the
tanbark. "I wish I weren't--or didn't have to be."

"Has something gone wrong--with the road?" There was a slight tinge of
irony in the suggestion.

"No, but something's gone wrong with the world. I wish," he suddenly
looked up at her, "that I could be as sure of laying a smooth grade
for--for my friends as I am for trains of coal!"

"Your friends might have to wait a long time before traveling about,"
she laughed, but there was a note of apprehension in her voice which
again put him on his guard;--and yet he could not help feeling that a
partial preparation was only fair to her.

"It wouldn't be a bad thing if some people never traveled about," he
smiled. "I might then succeed in keeping you here, and those hot-headed
mountaineers would stay back in their holes and rot forever, as they
ought."

"Oh, Brent," she exclaimed, in a hurt voice, "there is such a wealth of
splendid human material up there if we can only