e same moment,
flickered faintly, then went out, leaving Fritz in darkness. Imagine
the feelings of the boy, as he groped unsuccessfully on the floor of
the cavern for the lost match box. Finally, he gave up in despair.
Fritz was not a cowardly boy, but while searching for the matches, he,
without thinking, had turned around several times, lost his bearings
and knew not in which direction to go to reach the opening of the
cave. He heard strange noises which he imagined were bats flopping
their wings. There appeared to be something uncanny about the place,
and Fritz devoutly wished himself out in the sunshine, when a
quotation he had frequently heard his father use came into his mind:
"More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of." So
Fritz knelt down and prayed as he had been taught to pray at his
mother's knee, but more earnestly than he had ever prayed before in
his life, that God would help him find his way out of the cave,
believing that his prayer would be answered. And who shall say it was
not answered? For, stumbling onward in the darkness, not knowing if he
were coming toward the cave's entrance or going in the opposite
direction, he eventually hailed with joy a faint streak of light which
he followed, and it soon brought him to the mouth of the cave. He was
surprised on joining his companions to find they had not been alarmed
at his absence. He had been in the cave only thirty minutes, but to
him it had seemed hours. Fritz says to this day he has a horror of
Durham Cave or "The Devil's Hole," as it was formerly called.

[Illustration: THE WOODLAND STREAM]

CHAPTER XXXI.

MARY'S MARRIAGE.

His vacation ended, after a busy season at the farm, Ralph Jackson
returned to his work in the city, strong and robust. He had acquired
the coat of tan which Mary's Uncle had predicted. Physically strong as
the "Cave Man" of old, he felt capable of moving mountains, and as was
natural, he being only a human man, longed for the mate he felt God
had intended should one day be his, as men have done since our first
gardener, Adam, and will continue to do until the end of time.

When visiting the farm, an event which occurred about every two weeks,
Ralph constantly importuned Mary to name an early day for their
marriage.

Mary, with a young girl's impulsiveness, had given her heart
unreservedly into the keeping of Ralph Jackson, her first sweetheart.
Mary was not naturally cold or unresponsive, neithe