n time. And Mrs. Duncan had
noticed it, without comment, and realized that her guest was not a boy,
but a man.

Then Mr. Duncan talked about gardening, and from that to Dave's skill
in backing his team to the coal-chute, and from that to coal itself.
Dave had shovelled coal all winter, but he had not thought about coal,
except as something to be shovelled and shovelled. And as Mr. Duncan
explained to him the wonderful provisions of nature; how she had stored
away in the undiscovered lands billions of tons of coal, holding them
in reserve until the world's supply of timber for fuel should be
nearing exhaustion, and as he told of the immeasurable wealth of this
great new land in coal resources, and of how the wheels of the world,
traffic and industry, and science, even, were dependent upon coal and
the man who handled coal, Dave felt his breast rising with a sense of
the dignity of his calling. It was no longer dirty and grimy; it was
part of the world; it was essential to progress and happiness--more
essential than gold, or diamonds, or all the beautiful things in the
store windows. And he had had to do with this wonderful substance all
winter, and not until to-night had it fired the divine spark of his
imagination. The time ticked on, and although he was eager to be at
work he almost dreaded the moment when Mr. Duncan should mention his
lesson. But before that moment came there was a ripple of laughter at
the door, and a girl in tennis costume, and a young man a little older
than Dave, entered.

"Edith," said Mrs. Duncan. Dave arose to shake hands, but then his
eyes fell full on her face. "Oh, I know you," he exclaimed. "I heard
you sing yesterday."

Slowly he felt the colour coming to his cheeks. Had he been too
familiar? Should he have held that back? What would she think? But
then he felt her hand in his, and he knew it was all right.

"And I know you," she was saying. "I saw you--" she stopped, and it
was her turn to feel the rising colour.

"Yes, I know what you saw," he took up her thought. "You saw me get up
and go out of church because I wouldn't sit and listen to a man say
that God punished the innocent to let the guilty go free. And I
won't." There was a moment's silence following this outburst, and Mr.
Duncan made a new appraisal of his pupil. Then it was time to
introduce Mr. Allan Forsyth. Mr. Forsyth shook hands heartily, but
Dave was conscious of being caught in one quick glance w