at they were
saying. As they moved forward, he skulked a short distance behind.
The girl paid no attention to him now. In fact, she did not seem to be
even aware of his presence. She was taken up entirely with the young
man by her side, so the idea that she meant anything to the awkward
youth to the rear never once crossed her mind.

In about fifteen minutes the injured man's house was reached, and all
entered except Eben. It was merely a shack, almost surrounded by
trees, and situated a short distance from the main highway. Here Bill
Dobbins and his wife lived during the summer months while work was
being carried on in the granite quarry. Their real home was elsewhere,
so this rude structure was all that they required during their
temporary stay at the quarry.

Eben waited for a few minutes outside, uncertain what to do. At length
he turned and made his way slowly back to the road, and down the track
to the river. He said nothing to his father about the accident, and
turned into his bunk at an unusually early hour. When the captain
asked him about the girl, and if Mrs. Ricksteen had taken her in, Eben
was curt in his reply, saying that he did not know. Not until the next
morning did Captain Tobin hear about the accident, for he had been in
the cabin when it had occurred. He then questioned his son as to the
details, but received no satisfactory information. Later he learned of
the whole affair from two men from the quarry, when they ran their
first morning load of granite down to the river. The injured man was
still unconscious, so they told him. The doctor had arrived during the
night, and did what he could for his welfare. The men were loud in
their praises of the young woman who had sat up all night with Mrs.
Dobbins, and had made herself so agreeable and helpful.

"I guess she's there to stay," one of them remarked. "Wonder where in
the world she dropped from. Ye don't see the likes of her every day,
'specially in a place like this."

"She and young Hampton seem to be very thick," the other volunteered.
"They must have known each other before by the look of things."

"Hampton, did ye say?" the captain asked. "D'ye mean Widder Hampton's
son, of Beech Cove?"

"I don't know whose son he is," was the reply. "He arrived at the
quarry yesterday afternoon, and has been hanging around ever since.
Mebbe he planned to meet the girl here."

The captain made no reply but went on with his work. He th