and was lying dead in the modest home to which he had taken her.
Now he had spoken to her again, and this time there was no bitterness
in his tone nor iciness in his manner.

"Yes," she replied; "father is somewhere about. If you will please
come in and be seated I will try to find him."

He followed her into the sitting-room, and took the chair that she
placed for him.

"I beg that you will not put yourself to too much trouble," he said,
"in trying to find him; although I desire to see him on a somewhat
important errand."

"It will not be the slightest trouble," she assured him.

But, as she turned to go, he added as though a new thought had come to
him:

"Perhaps you have some young person about the premises whom you could
send out in search of Mr. Walker, and thus save yourself the effort of
finding him."

"No," she replied. "There is no young person here. I will go myself.
It will take but a minute or two."

It was a feeble attempt on his part, and it had been quickly foiled.
So there was nothing for him to do but to sit quietly in the chair
that had been placed for him, and await the coming of Enos Walker.

Yet he could not help but wonder as he sat there, what had become of
Pen. She had said that there was no young person there. Was the boy's
absence only temporary, or had he left the home of his maternal
grandfather and gone to some place still more remote and
inaccessible? He was consumed with a desire to know; but he would not
have made the inquiry, save as a matter of life and death.

It was fully five minutes later that the guest in the sitting-room
heard some one stamping the snow off his boots in the kitchen
adjoining, then the door of the room was opened, and Enos Walker stood
on the threshold. His trousers were tucked into the tops of his boots,
his heavy reefer jacket was tightly buttoned, and his cloth cap was
still on his head.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Butler," he said. "I'm pleased to see ye. I
didn't know as ye'd think it wuth while to come."

"It is always worth while," replied the colonel, "to meet a business
proposition frankly and fairly. I am here, at your suggestion, to
discuss with you the matter of the purchase of a certain tree."

Grandpa Walker advanced into the room, closing the door behind him,
went over to the window, laid aside his cap, and dropped into his
accustomed chair.

"Jes' so," he said. "Set down, an' we'll talk it over." When the
colonel was seated he continued