e ordinarily considered advisable.

"I declare for't, Ruth! Ain't nothin' the matter, is there?" he asked,
holding her hand and staring into her face with serious intent.

"Oh, no, Uncle. Nothing at all the matter. Just ran home to see how you
all were, and to watch them take the pictures of the old mill."

"Ain't lost any of that money, have ye?" persisted the miller.

"Not a penny. And Mr. Hammond sent me a nice check on account of
royalties, too," and she dimpled and laughed at him.

"All right," grunted Uncle Jabez. "Ye wanter watch out for that there
money. Business is onsartain. Ain't no knowin' when everything'll go to
pot _here_. I never see the times so hard."

But Ruth was not much disturbed by such talk. Uncle Jabez had been
prophesying disaster ever since she had known him.

Maggie welcomed Ruth cordially, as well as Ben. Maggie was still the
puzzling combination of characteristics that she had seemed to Ruth from
the first. She was willing to work, and was kind to Aunt Alvirah; but
she always withdrew into herself if anybody tried to talk much to her.

The others at the Red Mill had become used to the girl's reticence; but
to Ruth it remained just as tantalizing. She had the feeling that Maggie
was by no means in her right environment.

"Doesn't she ever write letters?" Ruth asked Aunt Alvirah. "Doesn't she
ever have a visitor?"

"Why, bless ye, my pretty! I don't know as she writes much," Aunt
Alvirah said, as she moved about the kitchen in her old slow fashion.
"Oh, my back! and oh, my bones! Well Ruthie, she reads a lot. She's all
for books, I guess, like you be. But she don't never talk much. And a
visitor? Why, come to think on't, she did have one visitor."

"Is that so?" cried the curious Ruth. "Let's hear about it. I feel
gossipy, Aunt Alvirah," and she laughed.

She knew that Maggie was away from the house, and they were alone. She
could trust Aunt Alvirah to say nothing to the girl regarding her
queries.

"Yes, my pretty," the old woman said, "she did have one visitor. Another
gal come to see her the very week you went away to college, Ruthie."

"Is that so? Who was she?"

"Maggie didn't say. I didn't ask her. Ye see, she ain't one ter confide
in a body," explained Aunt Alvirah, shaking her head and lowering
herself into her rocking chair. "Oh, my back! and oh, my bones!"

"But didn't you see this visitor?"

"Why, yes, Ruthie. I seen her. It was funny, too," Aunt Alvirah said,
s