r
as she was going toward the house.

"What eyes have you? To what white heights do you dare climb? You seem
literally to push away the clouds and gaze straight through that dome
which marks the farthest limit of my imaginings! You seem to tear it
with your hands, and look through!--you put your lips to the rift and
whisper with the angels!--and you always bring a little something back
which does men good! Oh, Jane, Jane! How honestly I wish--"

But he did not finish the wish, and in another few minutes they were at
Flat Rock, with Bob welcoming them and helping her to alight.

CHAPTER XXVII

A QUICK FUSE

Days of restlessness followed that drive to the chapel. Brent said one
afternoon in desperation that they were so heavy and oppressive he was
actually creaking under them;--and Uncle Zack, after watching him
critically as he walked away, shook his head in doubt whether he could
hear anything or not. But the work went stubbornly on, in spite of the
dull gnawing which made it, and reform--and life, indeed--seem
meaningless. With this grew another worry, shared more deeply by the
Colonel, as time brought no hint of Tusk's fate. Both men were beginning
to believe that he had crawled back in some ravine and died, but neither
would voice so dismal a suggestion.

It was the Fourth of July. In order to dispel some of the gloom, the
Colonel had issued a proclamation calling both families to assemble
there upon the lawn at four of the clock, to celebrate, in a sane or
insane manner, the patriotic day. To Dale, Bip and Aunt Timmie this
brought much excitement. The feelings of Miss Liz were also stirred, but
rather with a solemn thrill of reverence for her departed heroes.

Boy-like, the old gentleman had sat up late the previous night checking
off an assortment of fireworks especially ordered from the city, and not
infrequently examining with pleasurable interest some new pyrotechnic
fountain or bomb. But these were for the grand evening display. The
afternoon was to be given principally to oratory. Bip, however, should
fire a few crackers, and Dale had yielded to Brent's request to
demonstrate the mountain people's skill at rifle shooting. Tales of
their prowess, the engineer had declared, were more wonderful than
believable.

The Colonel had just beaten him at another game of chess, and they were
now leaning back in their chairs weary from the exertion, for it had
been a long and difficult struggle, when grad