So the winter months passed. Rupert studied his own lessons when he was
not preparing for his day's work. He made frequent visits to the
Jansons, though it was a good three miles' drive. He was always received
as a friend, and, indeed, was treated as one of the family.

Was it strange that a tie should grow between Rupert Ames and Signe
Dahl? Was it anything out of the way that Rupert's trips became more
frequent, and that the fair-haired Norwegian looked longingly down the
road for the school-master's horse?

Rupert did not try to deceive himself. It had been a year only since his
experience with Virginia Wilton. He had thought that he never would get
over that, but even now he could look back on it with indifference, yes,
even with thankfulness. This love which seemed to be coming to him was
different from that first experience. He could not explain this
difference, but he knew that it existed. Rupert had no misgivings. Signe
did not thrill him, did not hold him spell-bound with her presence. No;
it was only a calm, sweet assurance that she was a good girl, that he
loved her, and that she thought well of him. Their conversations were
mostly on serious, but deeply interesting subjects. Signe, in common
with her cousin and Mr. Janson, had religious views of her own, which
were peculiar, at least to Rupert. Nothing more than the common
doctrines of the Christian denominations had Rupert ever heard. Signe
knew her Bible well, and she could find wonderful things within its
lids, teachings which were new to Rupert, but which opened to him a
future, a bright, glorious future, full of possibilities. Besides, they
explained to him many of the mysteries of life and answered many of its
hard questions.

Thus one evening--it was Friday, and he lingered longer on that
evening--Mr. and Mrs. Janson were visiting neighbors, and Rupert and
Signe were alone. They sat by the kitchen stove, and the blazing pine
wood made a lamp unnecessary. Signe had received a letter from home
which she had translated to Rupert. Her father had long since forgiven
her. The few dollars she sent home now and then multiplied to quite a
few _kroner_ by the time they reached Norway, and they helped the
struggling family. After old country topics had been exhausted, the
conversation had drifted to religious themes, and especially to the
doctrine expressed in the song "O my Father;" but they now sat silently
looking into the fire. Their chairs were not far ap