edge, looking down and shouting orders.

Hilda turned with a little start and saw that Bannon was waiting for
her. Following him, she picked her way between piles of planks and
timber, and between groups of laborers and carpenters, to the other
side. Now they could look down at the four tracks of the C. & S. C., the
unfinished spouting house on the wharf, and the river.

"Here's where the belt gallery will go," he said, pointing downward:
"right over the tracks to the spouting house. They carry the grain on
endless belts, you know."

"Doesn't it ever fall off?"

"Not a kernel. It's pretty to watch. When she gets to running we'll come
up some day and look at it."

They walked slowly back toward the well. Before they reached it Peterson
and Max joined them. Peterson had rolled down his sleeves and put on his
coat.

"You ain't going down now, are you?" he said. "We'll be starting in
pretty soon on some of the heavy framing. This is just putting in
girders."

He was speaking directly to Miss Vogel, but he made an effort to include
Bannon in the conversation by an awkward movement of his head. This
stiffness in Peterson's manner when Bannon was within hearing had been
growing more noticeable during the past few days.

"Don't you think of going yet," he continued, with a nervous laugh, for
Hilda was moving on. "She needn't be in such a rush to get to work, eh,
Charlie?"

Hilda did not give Bannon a chance to reply.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Peterson," she said, smiling, "but I must go
back, really. Maybe you'll tell me some day when you're going to do
something special, so I can come up again."

Peterson's disappointment was so frankly shown in his face that she
smiled again. "I've enjoyed it very much," she said. She was still
looking at Peterson, but at the last word she turned to include Bannon,
as if she had suddenly remembered that he was in the party. There was an
uncomfortable feeling, shown by all in their silence and in their
groping about for something to say.

"I'll go ahead and clear the track," said Bannon. "I'll holler up to
you, Max, when we're ready down below."

"Here," said Max, "let me go down."

But Bannon had already started down the first ladder.

"The next time you come to visit us, Miss Vogel," he called back, "I
guess we'll have our real elevator in, and we can run you up so fast
it'll take your breath away. We'll be real swells here yet."

When he reached the working floor, he c