ver, a sympathetic
hearing but she had little to say, even less than was usual with her.
Her smile, however, was as quick and as bright as ever, and Larry
chattered on beside her apparently unaware of her silence. Up the coolee
and through the woods and back by the dump their trail led them. On the
way home they passed the Switzer house.

"Have you seen Mr. Switzer?" said Jane.

"No, by Jove, he hasn't been near us for a week, has he?" replied Larry.

"Poor man, I feel so sorry for him," said Jane.

"Oh, he will be all right. He is busy with his work. He is awfully keen
about that mine of his, and once the thing is over--after Kathleen is
married, I mean--it will be different."

Jane rode on in silence for some distance. Then she said,

"I wonder how much you know about it, Larry. I don't think you know the
very least bit."

"Well, perhaps not," said Larry cheerfully, "but they always get over
it."

"Oh, do they?" said Jane. "I wonder."

And again she rode on listening in silence to Larry's chatter.

"You will have a delightful visit at Banff, Jane. Do you know Wakeham
is going to motor up? He is to meet his father there. He asked me to go
with him," and as he spoke Larry glanced at her face.

"That would be splendid for you, Larry," she said, "but you couldn't
leave them at home with all the work going on, could you?"

"No," said Larry gloomily, "I do not suppose I could. But I think you
might have let me say that."

"But it is true, isn't it, Larry?" said Jane.

"Yes, it's true, and there's no use talking about it, and so I told him.
But," he said, cheering up again, "I have been having a holiday these
two weeks since you have been here."

"I know," said Jane remorsefully, "we must have cut into your work
dreadfully."

"Yes, I have loafed a bit, but it was worth while. What a jolly time we
have had! At least, I hope you have had, Jane."

"You don't need to ask me, do you, Larry?"

"I don't know. You are so dreadfully secretive as to your feelings, one
never knows about you."

"Now, you are talking nonsense," replied Jane hotly. "You know quite
well that I have enjoyed every minute of my visit here."

They rode in silence for some time, then Larry said, "Jane, you are the
best chum a fellow ever had. You never expect a chap to pay you special
attention or make love to you. There is none of that sort of nonsense
about you, is there?"

"No, Larry," said Jane simply, but she kept her face turned