to appear calm and cheerful.
As they stood talking by the gate, Jed Winslow emerged from the
windmill shop and, crossing the lawn, joined them.

The three talked for a moment and then Charles held out his hand.

"Well, so long, Jed," he said. "If all goes well I shall be back
here to-morrow. Wish me luck."

"I'll be wishin' it for you, Charlie, all day and all night with
double time after hours and no allowance for meals," replied Jed
earnestly. "You think Sam'll get your note all right?"

"Yes, I shall tuck it under the bank door as I go by. If he should
ask what the business was which called me to Boston so suddenly,
just dodge the question as well as you can, won't you, Jed?"

"Sartin sure. He'll think he's dealin' with that colored man that
sticks his head through the sheet over to the Ostable fair, the one
the boys heave baseballs at. No, he won't get anything out of me,
Charlie. And the other letter; that'll get to--to her?"

The young man nodded gravely. "I shall mail it at the post-office
now," he said. "Don't talk about it, please. Well, Sis, good-by--
until to-morrow."

Jed turned his head. When he looked again Phillips was walking
rapidly away along the sidewalk. Ruth, leaning over the fence,
watched him as long as he was in sight. And Jed watched her
anxiously. When she turned he ventured to speak.

"Don't worry," he begged. "Don't. He's doin' the right thing. I
know he is."

She wiped her eyes. "Oh, perhaps he is," she said sadly. "I hope
he is."

"I know he is. I only wish I could do it, too. . . . I would," he
drawled, solemnly, "only for nineteen or twenty reasons, the first
one of 'em bein' that they wouldn't let me."

She made no comment on this observation. They walked together back
toward the house.

"Jed," she said, after a moment, "it has come at last, hasn't it,
the day we have foreseen and that I have dreaded so? Poor Charlie!
Think what this means to him."

Jed nodded. "He's puttin' it to the touch, to win or lose it all,"
he agreed, "same as was in the poem he and I talked about that
time. Well, I honestly believe he feels better now that he's made
up his mind to do it, better than he has for many a long day."

"Yes, I suppose he does. And he is doing, too, what he has wanted
to do ever since he came here. He told me so when he came in from
his long interview with you last night. He and I talked until it
was almost day and we told each other--many