oung girl he had met and come to worship amid the
blossoming woods, he studied to such good purpose that at the end of the
session he had packed two years' work into one.

Keith had no very definite ideas, when he started out at the end of his
college year, as to what he should do. He only knew that he had strong
pinions, and that the world was before him. He wished to bury himself
from observation until he should secure the success with which he would
burst forth on an astonished world, overwhelm Mrs. Yorke, and capture
Alice. His first intention had been to go to the far West; but on
consideration he abandoned the idea.

Rumors were already abroad that in the great Appalachian mountain-range
opportunity might be as golden as in that greater range on the other
side of the continent.

Keith had a sentiment that he would rather succeed in the South than
elsewhere.

"Only get rifles out and railroads in, and capital will come pouring
after them," Rhodes had said. "Old Wickersham knows his business."

That was a good while ago, and at last the awakening had begun. Now that
carpet-bagging was at an end, and affairs were once more settled in that
section, the wealth of the country was again being talked of in
the press.

The chief centre of the new life was a day's drive farther in the
mountains than Eden, the little hamlet which Keith had visited once with
Dr. Balsam when he attended an old stage-driver, Gilsey by name, and cut
a bullet out of what he called his "off-leg." This was the veiled
Golconda. To the original name of Humboldt the picturesque and humorous
mountaineer had given the name of "Gumbolt."

This was where old Adam Rawson, stirred by the young engineer's
prophecy, had taken time by the forelock and had bought up the mineral
rights, and "gotten ahead" of Wickersham & Company.

Times and views change even in the Ridge region, and now, after years of
delay, Wickersham & Company's railroad was about to be built. It had
already reached Eden.

Keith, after a few days with his father, stopped at Ridgely to see his
old friends. The Doctor looked him over with some disapproval.

"As gaunt as a greyhound," he muttered. "My patient not married yet, I
suppose? Well, she will be. You'd better tear her out of your memory
before she gets too firmly lodged there."

Keith boldly said he would take the chances.

When old Rawson saw him he, too, remarked on his thinness; but more
encouragingly.

"Well, 'a lea