Matt
doesn't want to see me, not with you, anyway."

Sammy flushed at this, and answered with some warmth, "There is no
reason in the world why you should refuse to meet an old friend;
but you may do as you please, of course. Only I am going to the
mill." So saying, she started down the valley, and as there was
really nothing else for him to do, the man followed.

As they approached the mill, Sammy called for Young Matt, who
immediately left his work, and came to them. The big fellow wore
no coat, and his great arms were bare, while his old shirt,
patched and faded and patched again, was soiled by engine grease
and perspiration. His trousers, too, held in place by suspenders
repaired with belt lacing and fastened with a nail, were covered
with sawdust and dirt. His hands and arms and even his face were
treated liberally with the same mixture that stained his clothing;
and the shaggy red brown hair, uncovered, was sadly tumbled. In
his hand he held a wrench. The morrow was grinding day, and he had
been making some repairs about the engine.

Altogether, as the backwoodsman came forward, he presented a
marked contrast to the freshly clad, well groomed gentleman from
the city. And to the woman, the contrast was not without
advantages to the man in the good clothes. The thought flashed
through her mind that the men who would work for Ollie in the
shops would look like this. It was the same old advantage; the
advantage that the captain has over the private; the advantage of
rank, regardless of worth.

Sammy greeted Young Matt warmly. "I just told Ollie that it was
too bad he had not seen you. You were away the night we called at
your house, you know; and he is going home to-morrow."

The giant looked from one to the other. Evidently Sammy had not
heard of that meeting at the Lookout, and Stewart's face grew red
as he saw what was in the big fellow's mind. "I'm mighty glad to
see you again," he said lamely. "I told Sammy that I had seen you,
but she has forgotten."

"Oh, no, I haven't," replied the girl. "You said that you saw him
in the field as you passed the first day you came, but that you
were in such a hurry you didn't stop."

At this Ollie forced a loud laugh, and remarked that he was in
something of a hurry that day. He hoped that in the girl's
confusion the point might be overlooked.

But the mountaineer was not to be sidetracked so easily. Ollie's
poor attempt only showed more clearly that he had purposel