ttled at
the man's words. "We might be throwing stones at you or somebody else."

"At me!" and Mr. Sinclair looked surprised.

"Yes, at you. But perhaps it's safer to throw them at that rock over
there. It doesn't mind for it knows we're only in fun. It's a special
friend of mine, and that's why I like to be near it. You would never
believe that it saved half my father's farm several years ago."

"What, that rock?"

"It certainly did, and I shall never forget what it did for us."

"Tell me about it," and Mr. Sinclair sat down upon the ground. The
mention of the Bean farm had suddenly aroused his interest, and made
him willing to listen to this country girl's story.

"It was a long time ago," Betty began, "just after my father was
married. He had bought a piece of land off of the Dinsmore Manor,
about one hundred acres, I think it was. After he had paid for the
place there was some trouble about the line between him and the man who
had bought another piece of the manor next to him. They agreed to have
the line run over again. I don't understand all about it, but, anyway,
when the line was run it cut my father's place almost in two, and he
was afraid he was going to lose all that land where those fine logs are
now. It was a funny mistake, but it was soon settled."

"What had that rock to do with it?" Mr. Sinclair enquired.

"Oh," and the girl gave a slight laugh. "I forgot that part. You see,
the surveyor was to start running the line from the big pyramid rock on
this brook. It is called that because of its shape. Father happened
to be away from home the day the line was run and the surveyor started
from another rock farther down the brook, which looks something like
that one over there. Wasn't it funny? So you see that is why I am so
fond of that big rock and come here as often as I can to be near my
good friend."

As Betty finished, a peculiar expression might have been detected in
Peter Sinclair's eyes, and for a few seconds he gazed steadily at the
rock before him. It seemed that the girl's story had greatly
interested him and started him off on a new line of thought. Just what
it was he kept to himself and with an apparent effort turned his
attention once more to Betty.

"You will not come here as often, I suppose, when the company gets to
work," he remarked. "Things will be much changed along this brook, and
perhaps your old friend, the rock, may be disturbed."

"You are right, sir,"