ou remember," he said at last tenderly, looking over at the
Greely wood, "that you asked me when a little girl to build a house
for you and me over there where we might live always?"

"Yes," she said with a touch of sweet reluctance, "I confess I have
always remembered that childish speech,--with an intuitive knowledge
that I shouldn't have made it, I suppose."

"While I have always treasured it consciously or unconsciously," he
returned, with eager joy creeping into the tenderness of his voice.
"You were a blessed little prophetess, for it is here under the shadow
of the old wood that love has at last built for us the fairest,
holiest structure earth ever knew."

Then they remembered the hour of the night and the anxiety of her
father and mother, and started back down the road, Nancy saying she
would like to walk a little and Steve leading Gyp, who had been
unconcernedly grazing by the roadside.

After a time the lover went on again joyously:

"We have equal right to one another now, have we not, sweetheart, for
if I saved you from possible death at the moment of our meeting, you
have probably saved me from a tragic end to-night. It is the way of
our mountain life," he added, his voice taking on a note of sadness;
"our joy must always be mingled with tragedy until we learn the
beautiful ways of peace."

Then he stopped again and turned her face up to the moonlight once
more.

"Will you be content, dearest, to help me in the work I have
chosen,--it will probably mean sacrifice,--the giving up of your
ambitions."

She smiled back with a low, "More than content, if I may be always
with you."

* * * * *

The next day Steve met Raymond on the street, and the latter was more
serious than Steve had ever seen him.

"Well, old fellow," he said with an attempt at a smile, "you've licked
me again. I know all about the sale of Greely Ridge and your narrow
escape last night. Those two things, I admit, show me I am a good
deal of a fool, and something of a cad as I used to be. I want you to
know that the business with the moonshiners is all off. The other
victory you've won over me I can't talk about. I acknowledge you
deserve her though, more than I do, and I wish you luck."

Before Steve could reply he went on: "You got some hard knocks when
you were a boy, Steve, and they did you good. That is when we need
them most. These are the first real blows I have ever had. I've alw