g
her dainty way up the road with Conrad Sieger walking by her side. What
made it worse for Ben was a dim feeling that she liked him, and would go
with him if he had the courage to ask her.

"Well, Ben," said Milton, "it's settled, we go to Rock River to-night to
the camp-meeting. Did you ask Grace?"

"No, she's going with Con. It's just my blasted luck."

"That's too bad. Well, come with us. Take Maud."

As he rode away Ben passed Grace on the road.

"Going to the camp-meeting, Con?" asked Milton, in merry voice.

"I guess so," said Conrad, a handsome, but slow-witted German.

As they went on Ben could have wept. His keener perception told him
there was a look of appeal in Grace's upturned eyes.

He made a poor companion at dinner, and poor plain Maud knew his mind
was elsewhere. She was used to that and accepted it with a pathetic
attempt to color it differently.

They got away about five o'clock.

Ben drove the team, driving took his mind off his weakness and failure;
while Milton in the seclusion of the back seat of the carryall was happy
with Amelia Turner.

It was growing dark as they entered upon the curving road along the
river which was a relief from the rectangular and sun-smitten roads of
the prairie. They lingered under the great oaks and elms which shaded
them. It would have been perfect Ben thought, if Grace had been beside
him in Maud's place.

He wondered how he should manage to speak to Grace. There was a time
when it seemed easier. Now the consciousness of his love made the
simplest question seem like the great question of all.

Other teams were on the road, some returning, some going. A camp-meeting
had come to be an annual amusement, like a circus, and young people from
all over the country drove down on Sundays, as if to some celebration
with fireworks.

"There's the lane," said Milton. "See that team goin' in?"

Ben pulled up and they looked at it doubtfully. It looked dangerously
miry. It was quite dark now and Ben said:--

"That's a scaly piece of road."

"Oh, that's all right. Hark!"

As they listened they could hear the voice of the exhorter nearly a mile
away. It pushed across the cool spaces with a wild and savage sound. The
young people thrilled with excitement.

Insects were singing in the grass. Frogs with deepening chorus seemed to
announce the coming of night, and above these peaceful sounds came the
wild shouts of the far-off preacher, echoing through the cool gr