ing away, and what he intended to do.

"I'll go out on the prairies and take up a claim," said Osborne
sturdily. "Begin life over again free of debt. It'll be hard work, but
I'm not afraid of that. I will succeed if it takes me years."

They walked on in silence. Nan came to the conclusion that Osborne
meant to hold his peace.

"John," she said tremulously, "won't--won't you find it very lonely
out there?"

"Of course--I expect that. I shall have to get used to it."

Nan grew nervous. Proposing to a man was really very dreadful.

"Wouldn't it be--nicer for you"--she faltered--"that is--it wouldn't
be so lonely for you--would it--if--if you had me out there with you?"

John Osborne stopped squarely in the dusty road and looked at her.
"Nan!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, if you can't take a hint!" said Nan in despair.

It was all of an hour later that a man drove past them as they
loitered up the hill road in the twilight. It was Bryan Lee; he had
taken from Osborne his house and land, but he had not been able to
take Nan Stewart, after all.

Natty of Blue Point

Natty Miller strolled down to the wharf where Bliss Ford was tying up
the _Cockawee_. Bliss was scowling darkly at the boat, a trim new one,
painted white, whose furled sails seemed unaccountably wet and whose
glistening interior likewise dripped with moisture. A group of
fishermen on the wharf were shaking their heads sagely as Natty drew
near.

"Might as well split her up for kindlings, Bliss," said Jake McLaren.
"You'll never get men to sail in her. It passed the first time, seeing
as only young Johnson was skipper, but when a boat turns turtle with
Captain Frank in command, there's something serious wrong with her."

"What's up?" asked Natty.

"The _Cockawee_ upset out in the bay again this morning," answered
Will Scott. "That's the second time. The _Grey Gull_ picked up the men
and towed her in. It's no use trying to sail her. Lobstermen ain't
going to risk their lives in a boat like that. How's things over at
Blue Point, Natty?"

"Pretty well," responded Natty laconically. Natty never wasted words.
He had not talked a great deal in his fourteen years of life, but he
was much given to thinking. He was rather undersized and insignificant
looking, but there were a few boys of his own age on the mainland who
knew that Natty had muscles.

"Has Everett heard anything from Ottawa about the lighthouse business
yet?" asked Will.

Natty shook hi