ute,
Granville Joy," she said, angrily.

The boy let her hand go immediately, and stood up, leaning over her.

"Don't be angry; I didn't mean any harm, Ellen," he whispered.

"I shall be angry if you do such a thing again," said Ellen. "We
aren't children; you have no right to do such a thing, and you know
it."

"But I thought maybe you wouldn't mind, Ellen," said Granville. Then
he added, with his voice all husky with emotion and a kind of fear:
"Ellen, you know how I feel about you. You know how I have always
felt."

Ellen made no reply. It seemed inconceivable that she for the minute
should not know his meaning, but she was bewildered.

"You know I've always counted on havin' you for my wife some day
when we were both old enough," said the boy, "and I've gone to work
now, and I hope to get bigger pay before long, and--"

Ellen rose with sudden realization. "Granville Joy," cried she, with
something like panic in her voice, "you must not! Oh, if I had
known! I would not have let you finish. I would not, Granville."
She caught his arm, and clung to it, and looked up at him pitifully.
"You know I wouldn't have let you finish," she said. "Don't be hurt,
Granville."

The boy looked at her as if she had struck him.

"Oh, Ellen," he groaned. "Oh, Ellen, I always thought you would!"

"I am not going to marry anybody," said Ellen. Her voice wavered in
spite of herself; the young man's look and voice were shaking her
through weakness of her own nature which she did not understand, but
which might be mightier than her strength. Something crept into her
tone which emboldened the young man to seize her hand again. "You
do, in spite of all you say--" he began; but just then a long shadow
fell athwart the moonlight, and Ellen snatched her hand away
imperceptibly, and young Lloyd stood before them.

Chapter XXI

Granville Joy was employed in Lloyd's, and Robert had seen him that
very day and spoken to him, but he did not recognize him, not until
Ellen spoke. "This is Mr. Joy, Mr. Lloyd," she said; "perhaps you
know him. He works in your uncle's shop." She said it quite simply,
as if it was a matter of course that Robert was on speaking terms
with all the employes in his uncle's factory.

Granville colored. "I saw Mr. Lloyd this afternoon in the
cutting-room," he said, "and we had some talk together; but maybe he
don't remember, there are so many of us." Granville said "so many
of us" with an indescribably