r? You think I
don't know that I looked like a scare-crow in all them clo'es I had
fixed up so careful, when she come on with her gowns made up for her by
_dressmakers_? Why--why--I never _see_ a dressmaker in all my life! I
never even see one!"

"Well," said he, and looked at her with a slow smile, "there probably
will be no reason why you may not see as many as you like, in years to
come,"

She was amazed. "This some sort o' joke?"

"No, Madge. How would you like to be rich?"

"Me?... Rich? Oh ... oh, I'd like it. _Then_ I could go down in th'
bluegrass, study, l'arn, an'--I could do a heap o' good aroun' hyar,
too" She sighed. "But thar never was nobody rich in these hyar mountings
an' I reckon thar never will be."

"Perhaps you may be," said the youth, and there was a serious quality in
his voice which made her start and then lean forward on her stump to
gaze at him with searching, eager eyes.

"Your land down in the valley," he went on, "may contain coal and iron
enough to give you a fortune. Now there are bad men in this world, and I
want you to promise me to sell it to nobody without first coming to me
for advice."

"Promise?" said the girl, the wonder all ashine in her big eyes. "In
course I'll promise that. But is there r'ally a chance of it?"

"There really is."

"Oh, if I only knowed, for shore! Seems like I couldn't wait!"

"You shall know, to-night, or, maybe, sooner. I have the engineers
report, but I must study it out carefully and make sure what boundaries
he means. I'm almost certain they include your land. As soon as I find
out I'll come back here and call to you and let you know."

"I reckon you won't have to call! I'll be watchin' for you every
minute."

"Well, I'm off. But remember what I said about letting anyone buy any of
your land from you. Don't sell an inch, don't give an option at
whatever price, to anyone without consulting me."

When he had left, the girl still sat there, dreaming on her stump after
she had watched him out of sight.

The news that she might become rich had stirred her deeply for a moment,
but, soon she wondered if riches, really, would mean everything, and
decided that they would not.

"Somehow," she mused, "somehow I don't care much about it, not
unless--unless--oh, I can't think of nothin' in th' world but him! An'
he says he's goin' to go away, never to return no more!... Other folks
has gone away, afore, but it didn't seem to hurt my heart like this.