morning.

"Yes," answered Jack--"there is no one to take charge of the new battery
but myself, and we have ten holes already filled for blasting."

"But isn't it only to put the two wires together? Daddy explained it to
me."

"Yes--but at just the right moment. Half a minute too early might ruin
weeks of work. We have some supports to blow out. Three charges are at
their bases--everything must go off together."

"But it is such a short visit."

Some note in her voice rang through Jack's ears and down into his heart.
In all their intercourse--and it had been a free and untrammelled one
so far as their meetings and being together were concerned--there was
invariably a barrier which he could never pass, and one that he was
always afraid to scale. This time her face was toward him, the rosy
light bathing her glorious hair and the round of her dimpled cheek. For
an instant a half-regretful smile quivered on her lips, and then faded
as if some indrawn sigh had strangled it.

Jack's heart gave a bound.

"Are you really sorry to have me go, Miss Ruth?" he asked, searching her
eyes.

"Why should I not be? Is not this better than Mrs. Hicks's, and Aunt
Felicia would love to have you stay--she told me so at dinner."

"But you, Miss Ruth?" He had moved a trifle closer--so close that his
eager fingers almost touched her own: "Do you want me to stay?"

"Why, of course, we all want you to stay. Uncle Peter has talked of
nothing else for days."

"But do you want me to stay, Miss Ruth?"

She lifted her head and looked him fearlessly in the eyes:

"Yes, I do--now that you will have it that way. We are going to have a
sleigh-ride to-morrow, and I know you would love the open country, it is
so beautiful, and so is--"

"Ruth! Ruth! you dear child," came a voice--"are you two never coming
in?--the coffee is stone cold."

"Yes, Aunt Felicia, right away. Run, Mr. Breen--" and she flew up the
brick path.

For the second time Miss Felicia's keen, kindly eyes scanned the young
girl's face, but only a laugh, the best and surest of masks, greeted
her.

"He thinks it all lovely," Ruth rippled out. "Don't you, Mr. Breen?"

"Lovely? Why, it is the most wonderful place I ever saw; I could hardly
believe my senses. I am quite sure old Aunt Hannah is cooking behind
that door--" here he pointed to the kitchen--"and that poor old Tom will
come hobbling along in a minute with 'dat mis'ry' in his back. How in
the world you ever did