aid, but he did
not put away the paper. He kept it there for them both to look at,
touching arms.

"All right," she agreed, "but you must let me see you do it. Of course
I can't understand, but I do want to feel as if I were helping when it
is done."

"I won't take a step in it without consulting you or having you along,"
he promised.

At that moment the bugle sounded the first call for luncheon.

"You'll stay for luncheon," she invited.

"Certainly," he assured her. "You couldn't drive me away."

"Very well, right after luncheon let's go out and look at the place
again. It will look different now that it is--" She caught herself.
She had almost said "now that it is ours." "Now that it is secured,"
she finished.

After luncheon they drove back to the site of Lake Jo, and spent a
delirious while planning the things which were to be done to make that
spot an earthly Paradise. Never was a couple so prolific of ideas as
they were that afternoon. With 'Ennery waiting down in the road they
tramped all over the hills again, standing first on one spot and then
another to survey the alluring prospect, and to plan wonderful new and
attractive features of which no previous summer resort builder had ever
even dared to dream.

During the afternoon not one word passed between them which might be
construed to be of an intimately personal nature, but as they drove to
Hollis Creek, tired but happy, Sam somehow or other felt that he had
made quite a bit of progress, and was correspondingly elated. Leaving
Miss Stevens on the porch he hurried home to dress for dinner, for it
was growing late, but immediately after dinner he drove over again.
When he arrived Miss Josephine was in the seldom used parlor with her
father.

"I haven't seen you since breakfast," Mr. Stevens had said, pinching
her cheek, "Hollis and Billy Westlake have been looking for you
everywhere."

"Oh, they," she returned with kindly contempt. "I'm glad I didn't see
them. They're nice boys enough, but father, I don't believe that
either one of them will ever become clever business men!"

"No?" he replied, highly amused. "Well, I don't think they will
either. Business is a shade too big a game for them. But where have
you been?"

"Out on business with S-s-s--with Mr. Turner," she replied demurely.
"I came in late for lunch, and you had already finished and gone. Then
we went right back out again. Father, we have found the dearest, the
most