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+The Project Gutenberg eBook, Under Sealed Orders, by H. A. Cody
+
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+
+
+
+Title: Under Sealed Orders
+
+
+Author: H. A. Cody
+
+
+
+Release Date: September 17, 2005  [eBook #16714]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
+
+
+***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK UNDER SEALED ORDERS***
+
+
+E-text prepared by Al Haines
+
+
+
+UNDER SEALED ORDERS
+
+by
+
+H. A. CODY
+
+Author of
+The Frontiersman, The Long Patrol, The Chief of the Ranges, etc.
+
+NEW YORK
+GROSSET & DUNLAP
+PUBLISHERS
+GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY
+
+1917
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+To all "Spuds," successful or unsuccessful; to all "Fools," wise or
+unwise; and to all of "The Devil's Poor," not forgetting authors, this
+book is sympathetically dedicated.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+CHAPTER
+
+      I.  THE LURE OF FALLING WATER
+     II.  TO THE LOWEST BIDDER
+    III.  ONE, AT LEAST, RINGS TRUE
+     IV.  A LITTLE CABIN
+      V.  UNMASKED
+     VI.  OUT OF BONDAGE
+    VII.  AT THE CLOSE OF A DAY
+   VIII.  THE SHADOW OF MYSTERY
+     IX.  UNITED FORCES
+      X.  WHEN DREAMS COME TRUE
+     XI.  CURIOSITY AND ANXIETY
+    XII.  PYRAMID ROCK
+   XIII.  THE DISTURBING LETTER
+    XIV.  SUBTLE INFLUENCE
+     XV.  THE "CUT OFF"
+    XVI.  CHRISTMAS EVE
+   XVII.  THE NIGHT SUMMONS
+  XVIII.  THE WILD NOR'EASTER
+    XIX.  DEVELOPMENTS
+     XX.  BUSINESS DETAILS
+    XXI.  HARNESSED POWER
+   XXII.  IN THE PATH OF DESTRUCTION
+  XXIII.  RESCUED
+   XXIV.  GATHERING CLOUDS
+    XXV.  MYSTERY
+   XXVI.  UNDER SUSPICION
+  XXVII.  IN THE TOILS
+ XXVIII.  LIGHT BREAKS
+   XXIX.  LOIS GOES TO THE CITY
+    XXX.  A STRANGE COMMISSION
+   XXXI.  PAPER NUMBER TWO
+  XXXII.  THE TABLES TURNED
+ XXXIII.  THE REAL HAVEN
+
+
+
+
+UNDER SEALED ORDERS
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+THE LURE OF FALLING WATER
+
+It was evening and a late April wind was whipping down the valley.  It
+swayed the tops of the tall pine and spruce trees as they shouldered up
+from the swift brook below.  It tossed into driving spray the water of
+Break Neck Falls where it leaped one hundred feet below with a
+thundering roar and swirl.  It tossed as well the thin grey hair, long
+beard, and thread-bare clothes of an old man standing upon a large rock
+which towered high above the stream.
+
+The entire scene was wild and made weird by the approach of night.  But
+the old man did not seem to notice anything except the falling of the
+waters.  His eyes glowed with an intense light as he kept them fixed
+upon the leaping and swirling columns below.  His face was like the
+face of a lover turned toward the object of his affection.
+
+For some time the man stood there drinking in the scene before him.
+Then he took a step forward which brought him perilously near the edge
+of the steep rock.  His lips moved though no sound could be heard for
+the tumult of the falls which was rending the air.  What connection had
+such a man with his surroundings?  No boor or clown was he, for the
+simple dignity of face and manner marked him as one of Nature's true
+gentlemen.
+
+It was almost dark when he at last reluctantly left the rock and
+entered the thick woods where a trail led away from the falls.  Along
+this he moved with the unerring instinct of one who had travelled it
+often and was sure of his bearings.  But ever and anon he paused to
+listen to the sound of the falling waters which followed him like the
+voice of a loved one urging him to return.
+
+"Yes, you want me," he at length cried, as he once more paused.  "I
+hear your voice calling, and I know its meaning.  Others need you, too,
+but they do not know it.  You have been calling to them for years, but
+they have not understood your language.  It was left for me to listen
+and take heed.  They will some day, and then you will show your power.
+I can see what you will do, beautiful falls, and the changes which will
+come to this fair land when your luring voice is heeded."
+
+He stood for awhile as if entranced after uttering these mystic words.
+Then he continued on his way and night wrapped more closely about him
+her dark mantle.  He had to walk very cautiously now for the trail was
+rough, and there were sharp stones and roots ready to strike his feet
+and trip him up.
+
+At length the trail ended and he reached the smooth surface of the
+broad highway.  Along this he sped with the quick elastic step of one
+who has seen a vision.  The fire of a great idea was burning fiercely
+within him which caused him to take no heed to his surroundings.
+
+He had not gone far, however, ere some strong impulse caused him to
+pause again and listen to that fascinating sound of falling waters far
+off in the distance.  It was on an elevation in the road where he
+stopped, and here the shadows which enwrapped the forest were not so
+heavy.  The lingering light of departing day was still in the west and
+touched this part of the highway with its faint glow.  It brought out
+into clear relief the silhouette of the old man as he stood there with
+his right hand placed to his ear so as not to miss the least sound
+drifting down the valley.
+
+So intent was he upon what he heard that he did not notice the sounds
+of approaching footsteps, so when a man stopped a few yards away and
+watched him curiously, he was completely unaware of his presence.
+"Ring on, sweet waters," he cried.  "Your voice follows me no matter
+how far I go.  I alone can understand your language, and know what you
+are saying.  All are deaf but me.  They hear but do not know your
+meaning."  He ceased, and again listened for a few seconds.
+
+A strange half-mocking laugh startled him, and caused him to look
+quickly around.  Seeing that he was observed, he was about to hurry
+away, when a man stepped forward.
+
+"Pardon me," he began.  "I did not mean to offend you.  But your words
+seem so strange, that I could not help laughing."
+
+"And were you listening to the voice?" the old man eagerly asked.  "Do
+the falling waters speak to you as they do to me?  Is that why you are
+here?"
+
+"Yes, I hear them," was the reply.  "But they do not bring any special
+message to my mind."
+
+"And they do not tell you of power, of the wonderful things they are
+ready and willing to do when men will heed what they are saying?"
+
+"No, I can't say that they do.  They make a noise up there among the
+trees, but I do not know what they are saying."
+
+"Strange, strange," and the old man placed his hand to his forehead.
+"You are like all the rest, then.  You hear but you do not understand."
+
+"What do you hear?" the newcomer asked, thinking that he was talking to
+a weak-minded creature.
+
+"I hear great things, which will be for the welfare of the whole
+community.  The waters tell me what they will do.  They will make life
+worth living.  They will give light and power to the people all along
+the river and revolutionise their daily tasks.  Instead of hard labour
+by the sweat of the brow, the waters will do the work.  People will be
+happy, and have time for the beautiful things of life.  Grinding toil
+and sorrow will be banished forever."
+
+"Umph!  So that is what you hear, eh?  What is the good of hearing such
+a voice, if you have no power to make it come true?"
+
+"But the people will hear and understand," the old man insisted.  "I am
+telling them about it."
+
+"Yes, I know you are, and they think you are a fool for your efforts.
+They laugh at you, and call you crazy."
+
+"But they will come to see that I am right.  They, too, will hear the
+voice, and then they will not be able to resist its pleadings."
+
+"If you had the money they would listen to you, for that is the only
+voice people will heed to-day.  If you came here with an abundance of
+gold, people would hear anything you asked them to in the falls up
+yonder.  But because you are poor, like myself, your ideas will have no
+more weight with them than the lightest feather.  Back your visions
+with money and people will crowd around you, and you will be heeded.
+But try to get along without money, and, bah! you are a fool."
+
+Scarcely had these words left his lips ere a raucous honk up the road
+startled him.  Then an auto with blazing lights leaped out of the
+night.  The old man was standing right in its way, unconscious of his
+danger.  Almost instinctively two strong hands clutched him and hurled
+him into the ditch as the car swept past.  Shouts of merriment sounded
+forth upon the night air from the occupants of the car.  The fright
+they had given the two by the side of the road evidently gave them much
+amusement.  Their laughter caused the rescuer to straighten suddenly
+up, and clutch the old man fiercely by the arm.
+
+"Did you hear them?" he asked, and his voice was filled with suppressed
+emotion.
+
+"Yes," was the reply.  "They are only thoughtless youths having a good
+time, I suppose."
+
+"It's just what money does, though.  I know who they are, for I caught
+a glimpse of them as they sped past.  It's money that talks with them;
+that is the only voice they hear.  They will ride over the less
+fortunate, and crush them down as worms beneath their feet.  They have
+been doing it for ages, and look upon it as their right.  What do they
+care about the meaning of the falling waters when they are always
+listening to the voice of money.  Curse them.  Why should they revel
+and sport with ill-got gains, when honest men can hardly get enough to
+keep breath in their bodies."
+
+The young man was standing erect now on the side of the road.  His
+companion shrank away somewhat fearful lest he should turn upon him and
+smite him.
+
+"You seem to have suffered," he at length remarked.  "You appear to be
+annoyed at people who have money."
+
+"And why shouldn't I?" was the savage reply.  "Haven't I suffered at
+their hands, young as I am?  Haven't I been scorned by them to the
+limit of all endurance?  Haven't they made a mock of me for years,
+calling me names behind my back?  And why?  Just because I happen to be
+poor, and have tried honestly to make my way in life.  But there,
+enough of this.  What's the use of talking about such things?  It will
+do no more good than the voice of the waters which you are continually
+hearing."
+
+Along the road the two walked in deep silence.  The old man found it
+hard to keep up with his companion, and he was at last forced to fall
+behind.  Soon he was alone, and then his thoughts went once more back
+to the falls, and the glorious vision which was in his mind.
+
+It was only when he reached a small building by the side of the road
+that he stopped.  Pushing open the door, he entered.  All was dark and
+silent within.  The strange loneliness of the place would have smitten
+any one else with the feeling of dread.  But the old man never seemed
+to mind it.  Fumbling in his vest pocket, he found a match.  This he
+struck and lighted a tallow dip which was stuck into a rude
+candle-stick upon a bare wooden table.  One glance at the room revealed
+by the dim light showed its desolate bareness.  Besides the table there
+were two small benches and a wash-stand, containing a granite-iron
+basin.  A small broken-down stove stood at one end of the room, by the
+side of which was a couch.  Not a scrap of mat or rug adorned the
+floor.  There were no blinds or curtains to the cheerless, windows, and
+not a picture adorned the walls.
+
+But the old man did not notice the desolation of the place.  It was
+quite evident that he was beyond the influence of earthly surroundings
+for the moment.  Going at once to the couch, he brought forth a roll of
+paper hidden away beneath the pillow.  Carrying this over to the table,
+he sat down upon one of the benches and spread the paper out before
+him.  By the light of the candle it was easy for him to study the
+carefully-made lines upon the large sheet.  Eagerly he scanned the
+drawings, and then placing the forefinger of his right hand upon one
+central point, he moved it along one line extending farther than the
+rest until it stopped at a small square in which was the word "City."
+This action gave him much satisfaction and a pleased expression lighted
+up his face.  "Power, power," he murmured.  "Ay, quicker than thought,
+and bright as the sun shining in its strength.  Great, wonderful! and
+yet they do not realise it.  But they shall know, and understand."
+
+Along the other lines he also ran his finger, pausing at the end of
+each where was marked "Town," "Village," or "Settlement."  He talked
+continually as he did so, but it was all about "glory" and "power."
+Over and over again he repeated these words, now in a soft low voice,
+and again in a loud triumphant manner.
+
+At length he rose from the bench, crossed the room, opened the door,
+and stepped outside.  Not a star was to be seen, and the wind was
+stronger than ever.  It was keen, piercing.  But the man heeded neither
+the one nor the other.  He was listening intently, and the faint sound
+of Break Neck Falls drifting in from the distance was to him the
+sweetest of music.
+
+And as he stood there a sudden change took place.  His dead drooped,
+and he leaned against the side of the building for support.  A shiver
+shook his body, and as he turned and entered the house his steps were
+slow, and he half-stumbled across the threshold.  He looked at the
+wood-box behind the stove, but there was not a stick in it.  He next
+opened the door of the little cupboard near by, but not a scrap of food
+was there.  Almost mechanically he thrust his hand into his pocket and
+brought forth a purse.  This he opened, but there was nothing inside.
+Half-dazed he stood there in the centre of the room.  Then he glanced
+toward the paper with the drawings lying upon the table, and as he did
+so a peculiar light of comprehension shone in his eyes.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+TO THE LOWEST BIDDER
+
+There was an unusually large number of people gathered in front of
+Thomas Marshall's store one morning about the last of May.  Women were
+there as well as men, and all were talking and laughing in a most
+pleasant way.  The cause of this excitement was explained by a notice
+tacked on the store door.
+
+
+"The Board, Lodging, and Clothing of David Findley, Pauper, will be let
+to the lowest bidder for a period of one year, on Wednesday, May 30th
+inst., at Thomas Marshall's store, Chutes Corner, at 10 o'clock A. M.
+
+  "Signed
+
+  "J. B. FLETCHER
+   T. S. TITUS
+   O. R. MITCHELL
+   _Overseers of Poor_."
+
+
+This notice had been posted there for about two weeks, and had
+attracted the attention of all the people in the parish.  It was out of
+the ordinary for such a sale to take place at this season of the year.
+Hitherto, it had occurred at the last of December.  But this was an
+exceptional case, and one in which all were keenly interested.
+
+"I hear he is stark crazy," Mrs. Munson was saying to a neighbour,
+Peter McQueen, "and that he has a funny notion in his head."
+
+"Should say so," McQueen replied.  "Any man who has lived as he has for
+months must be pretty well off his base.  Why, he didn't have a scrap
+of food in the house when he was found by Jim Trask one morning the
+last of April.  Jim has been keeping him ever since."
+
+"Isn't he able to work?" Mrs. Munson inquired.
+
+"Seems not.  I guess he's a scholar or something like that, and did
+some book-keeping in the city until he drifted this way.  He must have
+had a little money to live as long as he has.  He's always been a
+mystery to me."
+
+"And to everybody else, I guess."
+
+"Yes, so it appears.  But it's a great pity that we've got to be
+burdened with the likes of him.  Our taxes are heavy enough now without
+having to take care of this strange pauper.  We've got too many on our
+hands already for our good."
+
+"But do you know anything about that queer notion of his, Pete?" Mrs.
+Munson asked.
+
+"Ho, ho, I've heard about it, and I guess it's true all right.  He's in
+love with Break Neck Falls, and makes regular trips there every day,
+and sometimes at night.  Jim followed him once, and saw him standing
+upon that high rock right by the falls.  He kept waving his hands and
+shouting to the water, though Jim could not make out what he was
+saying.  He has some writing on a piece of paper which he keeps very
+close.  He has told, though, that his plan will do wonderful things for
+the city and the whole surrounding country.  He once said that we don't
+know what a valuable thing we have right in our midst.  I guess we've
+lived here longer than he has, and should know a thing or two.  It is
+not necessary for a half-cracked old man to come and tell us of our
+possessions.  But, say, here he is now, coming along in Jim Trask's
+farm waggon."
+
+As the team drew near, all eyes were turned in its direction, for the
+first glimpse of "Crazy David," as he was generally called.  There was
+no difficulty about seeing him for he was sitting by Jim's side on the
+rough board seat.  He looked much older and careworn than the night he
+had awakened from his dream, and found his wood-box, cupboard, and
+pocket-book empty.  He had sat huddled on the seat for most of the way
+up the road, but when near the store he lifted his eyes and fixed them
+curiously upon the people before him.  There was something pathetically
+appealing in the expression upon his face.  He seemed like a man trying
+to recall something to his mind.  He appeared strangely out of place in
+that rough farm waggon.  Even his almost ragged clothes could not hide
+the dignity of his bearing as he straightened himself up and tried to
+assume the appearance of a gentleman.  The people saw this effort on
+his part, and several wondered and spoke about it afterwards.
+
+At first the old man did not seem to realise the purpose of the
+gathering.  But when he saw the auctioneer mount a box alongside of him
+and call for bids, the truth of the entire situation dawned upon him.
+He was to be sold as a pauper to the lowest bidder, so he heard the
+auctioneer say.  For an instant a deep feeling of anger stirred within
+his bosom, and he lifted his head as if to say something.  But seeing
+the eyes of all fixed upon him, he desisted.
+
+"What am I offered for the keep of this old man?" the auctioneer cried.
+"The lowest bid gets him."
+
+"Two hundred dollars," came from a man not far off.
+
+"Two hundred dollars!" and the auctioneer turned fiercely upon him.
+"You're out for a bargain, Joe Tippits.  Why, he's worth that to any
+man for a year's work.  He'll be able to do many an odd job.  Come, you
+can do better than that."
+
+"One seventy-five," came from another.
+
+"Too much," the auctioneer cried.  "The parish can't stand that."
+
+"One fifty, then."
+
+"That's better, Joe.  Try again.  You're a long way off yet."
+
+"I'll take the critter fer one hundred dollars, and not a cent less."
+
+At these emphatic words all turned and stared hard at the speaker.  A
+perceptible shiver passed through the bystanders, while several
+muttered protests were heard.
+
+"Oh, I hope he won't get him, anyway," Mrs. Munson whispered to a
+neighbour.  "Jim Goban isn't a fit man to look after a snake, and if he
+gets Crazy David in his clutches may God have mercy upon the poor old
+man."
+
+"One hundred dollars I am offered," again the voice of the
+auctioneer rang out.  "Can any one do better than that?  One
+hundred dollars.  Going at one hundred dollars.  I shan't dwell.
+One--hundred--dollars--and--sold to Jim Goban for one hundred dollars."
+
+This inhuman traffic did not seriously affect the people who had
+gathered for the auction.  When it was over, they quickly dispersed, to
+discuss with one another about the life Jim Goban would lead Crazy
+David.  It was an incident of only a passing moment, and mattered
+little more to them than if it had been a horse or a cow which had been
+sold instead of a poor feeble old man.
+
+It was the custom which had been going on for years, and it was the
+only way they could see out of the difficult problem of dealing with
+paupers.
+
+When Jim Goban reached home with his purchase, dinner was ready.  There
+were five young Gobans who stared curiously upon David as he took his
+seat at the table.  Mrs. Goban was a thin-face, tired looking woman who
+deferred to her husband in everything.  There was nothing else for her
+to do, as she had found out shortly after their marriage what a brute
+he was.
+
+David was pleased at the presence of the children and he often turned
+his eyes upon them.
+
+"Nice children," he at length remarked, speaking for the first time
+since his arrival.
+
+"So ye think they're nice, do ye?" Jim queried, leaning over and
+looking the old man in the eyes.
+
+"Why, yes," David replied, shrinking back somewhat from the coarse
+face.  "All children are nice to me, but yours are especially fine
+ones.  What nice hair they have, and such beautiful eyes.  I suppose
+the oldest go to school."
+
+"Naw.  They never saw the inside of a school house."
+
+"You don't say so!" and David looked his astonishment.  "Surely there
+must be a school near here."
+
+"Oh, yes, there's a school all right, but they've never gone.  I don't
+set any store by eddication.  What good is it to any one, I'd like to
+know?  Will it help a man to hoe a row of pertaters, or a woman to bake
+bread?  Now, look at me.  I've no eddication, an' yit I've got a good
+place here, an' a bank account.  You've got eddication, so I
+understand, an' what good is it to you?  I'm one of the biggest
+tax-payers in the parish, an' you, why yer nothing but a pauper, the
+Devil's Poor."
+
+At this cruel reminder David shrank back as from a blow, and never
+uttered another word during the rest of the meal.  The iron was
+entering into his soul, and he was beginning to understand something of
+the ignominy he was to endure at this house.
+
+"Now look here," Jim began when they were through with dinner, "I've a
+big pile of wood out there in the yard, an' I want ye to tote it into
+the wood-house an' pile it up.  I'll show ye where to put it.  I'm
+gittin' mighty little fer yer keep, an' I expect ye to git a hustle on
+to help pay fer yer grub an' washin'."
+
+"Don't be too hard on him, Jim," Mrs. Goban remarked.  "He doesn't look
+very strong."
+
+"Don't ye worry, Kitty, I'll attend to that.  I know a wrinkle or two."
+
+David was accordingly taken to the wood-house and Jim explained to him
+how and where he was to pile the wood.  "Ye needn't kill yerself," he
+told him in conclusion.  "But I want ye to keep busy, fer when that
+job's through I've got something else on hand.  Ye can sit down when ye
+feel a little tired, but don't sit too long or too often, see?"
+
+For about half an hour David worked patiently at the wood, piling it as
+neatly as possible.  The work was not hard, and he was quite satisfied
+with his task.  He was alone, anyway, and could think about his beloved
+falls.  His hands, however, were soft, and ere long they were bruised
+and bleeding from the rough sticks.  At length a sharp splinter entered
+his finger, and he sat down upon a stick to pull it out.  In trying to
+do this, it broke off leaving a portion deeply embedded in the flesh,
+which caused him considerable pain.  Not knowing what to do, he sat
+looking upon the finger in a dejected manner.
+
+"What's the matter?  You seem to be in trouble."
+
+At these words David looked quickly around, and saw a young girl
+standing by his side.  Though her dress was old and worn, her face was
+bright, and her eyes sparkled with interest.
+
+"Here, let me take that splinter out," she ordered, as she sat down by
+his side, and drawing forth a needle, began to probe into the flesh.
+"There, I've got it!" she cried in triumph.  "My! it's a monster.
+You'll have to be more careful after this.  You should have gloves."
+
+"Thank you very much," David replied.  "To whom am I indebted for this
+kindness?"
+
+"Oh, I'm Betty Bean, that's all."
+
+"And you live here?"
+
+"No.  I'm just dying here."
+
+"Dying!" David exclaimed in surprise.  "Why, you don't look like a
+dying person."
+
+"Maybe I don't, but I am.  I'm just staying here because I have to.  My
+mother's a widow, and I want to earn some money to help her, and as
+this was the only place I could get I had to take it."
+
+"So you do not like it, then?"
+
+"Who would like any place where there is such a brute as Jim Goban?
+My, I'm sorry for you.  To think of any man getting into his clutches."
+
+"But surely I won't be any worse off than you are."
+
+"I'm not so sure about that.  You see, I'm about boss here, and do and
+say just what I like."
+
+"How's that?"
+
+"Well, I'm the only person Jim can get to work here.  All the girls for
+miles around know what kind of a creature he is, and they wouldn't come
+for any amount of money.  They're scared to death of him.  But I'm not,
+and I tell him right to his face what I think of him, and the way he
+treats his poor wife.  He would like to horsewhip me, but he knows that
+if I leave no one else would come in my place.  But I'm glad now that I
+am here so I can look after you."
+
+"Look after me!"
+
+"Yes.  I guess you'll need me all right.  I know who you are, and I'm
+sorry for you.  I'm going to stand between you and Jim Goban.  He's
+scared to death of me, for I'm the only one who dares give him a
+tongue-lashing, and I do it whenever it is necessary, which is quite
+often."
+
+"You're a brave girl," and David looked with admiration upon the slight
+form by his side.  "How old are you?"
+
+"Fifteen last March.  But one's age is nothing.  I've done a woman's
+work ever since I was ten.  I stand up for my rights now, though.  When
+I first came here Jim was bound that I should work all the time.  But
+at last I told him that I was going to have every Saturday afternoon
+off, especially in summer, so I could go home or out upon the river.
+Can you row?" she suddenly asked.
+
+"A little," was the reply.
+
+"That's good.  Now, look, I'm going to take you out in the boat next
+Saturday, and you're going to meet somebody there you'll like."
+
+"Somebody I like," David repeated.  "Who is it?"
+
+"It's a woman, that's who it is.  But I'm not going to tell you her
+name.  She only came here last week, and she is so fond of the water,
+and spends so much time upon it.  Oh, you'll like her when you see her.
+She's a beauty, with such lovely eyes and dark hair.  And she's not a
+bit stuck up, either.  She just talks in a friendly way, and makes you
+feel easy all over.  There, now, I guess you'd better pile some more
+wood.  I have a bit of work to do, and when I'm through I'll come out
+and give you a hand.  I like to be with you.  I know we're going to be
+friends."
+
+The girl rose, and was about to leave.  She paused, however, and looked
+inquiringly into the old man's face.
+
+"Do you smoke?" she asked.
+
+Into David's eyes came an eager expression, which Betty was not slow to
+see.
+
+"I know you do," she cried, "but you have no tobacco."
+
+"I have a pipe," and David fumbled into a pocket of his coat.  "But I
+haven't had a smoke for weeks, because----"
+
+"I know, I know," the girl hastily replied.  "I'll get you some in a
+jiffy."
+
+She was gone only a short time when she returned, and handed David half
+a fig of tobacco.
+
+"There, take that," she said.  "It's a piece Jim left on the kitchen
+window-sill."
+
+"But is it right for me to take it?" David asked.
+
+"Sure it's right.  Didn't Jim agree to feed and lodge you for one year?
+You can't live without tobacco.  It's a part of your food, see?  If Jim
+says anything about it, I'll soon settle him."
+
+"You are a good girl," David returned, as with trembling hands he
+hastily whittled off a few slices of tobacco with an old knife, and
+filled his pipe.  "This will put new life into me.  I can never repay
+you for your kindness."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+ONE, AT LEAST, RINGS TRUE
+
+With the small boat pulled well upon the beach, Lois Sinclair stood for
+a few moments looking out over the water.  Her eyes were fixed upon a
+little boat in the distance containing two people, an old man and a
+young girl.  The wind, which was steadily increasing, tossed her wavy,
+luxuriant hair over her brow, while several tresses fell across her
+cheeks, flushed by the recent rowing.  She knew that she should be
+home, for supper would be waiting and her father would be impatient.
+But she hesitated.  Her thoughts were out there on the water where she
+loved to be.  The twang of the wind as it swept through the trees along
+the shore, and the beat of the surf upon the gravelly beach were music
+sweet to her ears.
+
+At length, with one more lingering glance out upon the river, she
+turned and walked along a path leading from the shore.  She moved
+slowly, for she was not at all anxious to reach the house situated
+about two hundred yards beyond.  And yet it was an attractive house,
+well-built, and cosy in appearance, designed both for summer and winter
+use.  A spacious verandah swept the front and ends, over which
+clambered a luxuriant growth of wild grape vines.  Large trees of ash,
+elm, and maple spread their expansive branches over the well-kept lawn,
+providing an excellent shade when the sun was hot.  Altogether, it was
+a most delightful spot to spend the summer months away from the smoke
+and confusion of the city.
+
+The place, however, did not altogether appeal to Lois Sinclair.  If she
+had needed rest, the situation would have been ideal.  But it was
+activity she desired, and not luxurious ease such as so many crave,
+especially two young men lolling on the verandah awaiting her coming.
+Even though one was her brother, she could not restrain a feeling of
+contempt as she looked upon their white faces, soft hands, and
+immaculate clothes.  Why should men, she asked herself, be so ready and
+willing to give themselves completely up to effeminate habits when
+their blood was hot within them, and the great Open was calling them
+with such a strong insistent voice?
+
+The young woman's arrival brought one of the young men to his feet,
+with the offer of a hammock.
+
+"Please do not trouble yourself," she told him.  "I must hurry and get
+ready for dinner.  I know that father is very angry with me."
+
+"He is not the only one who is angry, I can assure you," Sammie Dingle
+remarked.  "We have been furious with you for leaving us this afternoon
+when we needed your company so much in the car.  I cannot understand
+how you can enjoy yourself alone out on the river in that nasty boat."
+
+"No, I suppose you cannot," Lois replied, and so infatuated was Sammie
+with the young woman that he did not notice the slightest sarcasm in
+her words.
+
+"Hurry up, Lois," her brother ordered, "I'm almost starved.  Dad's got
+it in for you."
+
+"All right, Dick," was her reply.  "I shall be down in a few minutes.
+Why did you wait for me?  You had better go to dinner at once, if you
+are so hungry."
+
+It took Lois but a short time upstairs, and when she came down she
+found the three men in the dining-room.  Her father was in one of his
+surly moods, and this she could tell at the first glance.  He was a
+short man, somewhat stout, and pompous both in appearance and manner.
+Fortunate it was that his only daughter had inherited none of his
+qualities, but was more like her mother, whose memory she cherished
+with undying affection.  Since her death home had been more of a prison
+to her than anything else.  Neither her father nor her only brother had
+understood her, and she was forced to depend more and more upon her own
+reliant self.
+
+"What kept you so late, Lois?" her father asked as soon as she had
+taken her place at the table.  "You know very well that I do not like
+to wait for dinner."
+
+"I am very sorry, father," was the reply, "but I became so greatly
+interested in an old man and a girl out on the river that I had no idea
+how time was passing."
+
+"Who were they, Lois?" her brother enquired.
+
+"What new creatures have you picked up now?  You haven't run out of
+homeless cats and dogs, have you?"
+
+The colour mounted to Lois' temples at these words, for it was not the
+first time she had been sneered at for her tenderness of heart for all
+suffering creatures.  With difficulty she restrained an angry reply,
+and went on calmly with her dinner.
+
+"Come, Lois," Sammie urged, "never mind Dick.  He must have his little
+joke, don't you know.  He was only in fun."
+
+"A joke with a sharp thorn in it isn't much fun," and Lois looked
+Sammie full in the eyes.  "One might do far worse than take an interest
+in such people as I met this afternoon out upon the river.  They
+appealed to me very much and I am not ashamed to confess it.  The man
+is a perfect gentleman, while the girl is so pretty, and full of life
+and fun."
+
+"What's her name?" Dick asked.  "I'm getting quite excited over her."
+
+"She's Betty Bean, so she told me, and the old man is David Findley."
+
+"What, Crazy David, that miserable pauper?" Mr. Sinclair asked.  "And
+you call such a creature a gentleman?"
+
+"Certainly, and why not?  His face is so beautiful, and his whole
+manner shows that he has moved much in refined society."
+
+"Ho, ho, that's a good one," and Dick leaned back in his chair and
+laughed aloud.  "Crazy David a gentleman, with a beautiful face, and
+refined manners!  Think of that, dad."
+
+"Lois evidently doesn't know that Crazy David is a pauper, the Devil's
+Poor, and was sold to Jim Goban to board and lodge for a year.  He went
+pretty low, so I understand."
+
+At these words an expression of surprise came into Lois' eyes, mingled
+with indignation.  She looked keenly into her father's face, thinking
+that he must be merely joking.
+
+"I can hardly believe that what you say is true," she at length
+remarked.  "I did not know that such things were carried on in a
+Christian community.  Is it possible that an old man such as that was
+sold like a cow or a horse to the lowest bidder!"
+
+"Well, what else could have been done with him, then?"
+
+"Wasn't there any one in the whole parish, willing to take care of him?"
+
+"H'm, I guess people have all they can do to look after themselves
+without being burdened with a half-cracked creature such as that.  It
+was the best thing they could do.  It would not be fair for one person
+to have the entire expense of keeping him, so by this method all have a
+share in his support."
+
+"But I call it degrading," Lois insisted, "not only to the old man
+himself, but to the people living here.  He seems such a gentleman,
+that I was drawn to him this afternoon."
+
+"Going to take him under your wing, eh?" Dick bantered.  "He'll be as
+interesting as your other protege, I assure you.  By the way, I saw him
+this afternoon, and he looked his part all right, ho, ho," and Dick
+laughed as he gulped down his tea.
+
+"Who's that, Dick?" Mr. Sinclair inquired.
+
+"Oh, Lois knows," was the reply.  "She can tell you all about 'Spuds'
+as well as I can, and maybe better."
+
+"Why should I know?" his sister asked, somewhat sharply.  "I only met
+him once, and that was years ago."
+
+"But you always take his part, though, so he seems to be somewhat under
+your care."
+
+"And why shouldn't I?  He deserves great credit for what he has done,
+and it is very unbecoming of you to make fun of him."
+
+"I wish you could have seen him this afternoon, though," and Dick
+glanced across the table at Sammie.  "We were speeding along in the car
+when we saw him hoeing potatoes in a field by the road.  His clothes
+were all soiled, his sleeves rolled up, and he looked like a regular
+bushman.  I called out to him as we sped past, and you should have seen
+the expression on his face when he saw us.  It was like a thunder
+cloud.  I guess he felt pretty well cut up at being caught at such
+work, ha, ha."
+
+"Whom are you talking about, anyway?" Mr. Sinclair demanded.  "What's
+all this about 'Spuds,' I'd like to know?"
+
+"Oh, it's only that country chap we met several years ago, don't you
+remember?" Dick explained.  "His real name, I believe, is Jasper
+Randall, though we have always called him Spuds, because he was digging
+potatoes when we first met him."
+
+"You don't mean that big overgrown boy who helped us to carry Lois home
+the day she sprained her ankle at Daltan Creek?"
+
+"The very same, dad.  And you remember what fun we had at the way he
+sat and drank his tea out of the saucer?"
+
+"But I didn't."  Lois spoke sharply, while a flush mantled her cheeks.
+
+"Oh, no, you didn't make fun," Dick laughed.  "You were mad through and
+through, and gave us a good solid lecture afterwards."
+
+Lois made no reply, so while the men talked, she let her mind dwell
+upon that scene of years ago.  She saw again the lank awkward lad who
+was so concerned about her accident.  While helping to carry her home,
+he had been much at his ease, and his eyes glowed with a sympathetic
+light.  But when once in the house, his natural shyness had come upon
+him, and he did not know what to do with himself in the presence of
+strangers.  One thing stood out above everything else, and that was his
+look of indignant defiance when Dick laughed because he drank his tea
+out of the saucer.  She liked the way he had straightened himself
+suddenly up, while his eyes flashed with a peculiar light.  The next
+that she heard of him was several years later when he entered college
+in Dick's year.  Then every time her brother had come home he had such
+stories to tell her about Spuds.  And so he was now living near working
+on a farm.  Why did he not go home? she asked herself.  She wondered
+also what he looked like now.  Was he lank and awkward as when she saw
+him?  She longed to ask Dick several questions, but desisted, knowing
+that it would be to little purpose.  Her brother would only make fun of
+him, and she would be sure to get angry.
+
+When supper was over, the men sauntered out upon the verandah for a
+smoke.  Lois went, too, but sat somewhat apart with a piece of
+needlework in her hands.  She preferred to be alone that she might
+think.  She thought first of old David, and his pitiable condition.
+What could she do to help him? she asked herself.  It was not right
+that he should be kept as a pauper while there were several people in
+the parish who could provide for him without the least trouble.  Her
+father was one of them, and she was determined to speak to him just as
+soon as she could.
+
+From old David it was only natural that her mind should turn to Jasper
+Randall.  She recalled his animated face the day her ankle had been
+sprained.  He was but a big overgrown boy then, and she had just
+graduated from school.  She had never forgotten him, and had followed
+his career while at college as well as she could from what her brother
+told her.  And so he was now working on a farm nearby.  A longing came
+upon her to see him, and to learn if he had changed much since that day
+years ago.  As she glanced toward her brother and Sammie, so effeminate
+in their manner, and dressed with such scrupulous care, a feeling of
+contempt smote her.  They disdained honest toil, and would scorn to
+soil their soft white hands with manual labor.  But over there was a
+young man toil-worn, and no doubt sunburnt, clad in rough clothes
+earning his living by the sweat of his brow.  Such a person appealed to
+her.  He would form an interesting study, if nothing else.  There must
+be some connection between that potato patch and the college, she told
+herself, and she was determined to find out what it was.
+
+As she thus sat and worked, her thoughts keeping time to her fingers,
+Sammie came and took a seat by her side.  She glanced quickly up, with
+a shade of annoyance on her face.  They were alone on the verandah, for
+her father and Dick were nowhere to be seen.
+
+"You are very quiet this evening, Lois," the young man began.  "I have
+been watching you for the last half hour, and you never looked our way
+once, nor took any interest in what we were saying.  You are not
+offended, are you?"
+
+"Offended!  At what?" Lois asked as she let her needlework fall upon
+her lap.
+
+"At me.  Have I done anything to annoy you?"
+
+"I wasn't thinking about you at all, Sammie," and Lois looked him full
+in the eyes.  "My mind was upon more important things."
+
+"And you don't consider me important?" the young man demanded, visibly
+embarrassed.
+
+"Why should I?  What have you done that you should be considered
+important?"
+
+"But my father is rich, and we belong to a good old family.  I am a
+gentleman, and that should count for much."
+
+"So you seem to think," was the somewhat sarcastic reply.  "I do not
+for a moment deny that such things are valuable, but they count for
+very little in my estimation of a true man.  He must prove his worth in
+the battle of life, and show to the world that he is something apart
+from how much money his father may have or his family history.  Now
+what have you done that I should consider you important?"
+
+"Nothing at present, Lois, for I am not through college yet.  But I am
+going to do great things some day, and then you will change your
+opinion of me."
+
+"I hope so," and Lois gave a sigh as she picked up her work.
+
+"You don't believe what I say?" and Sammie reddened.
+
+"Not until I see you settle down to something definite.  You do not
+know how to work, and how, then, can you expect to succeed?"
+
+"But you would not want to see me working like Spuds, for instance,
+would you?"
+
+"And why not?  He is not afraid to soil his hands at honest labor.  Why
+he is doing so I do not know, but there must be some good reason."
+
+"Oh, I know.  He wants money to help him to finish his college course.
+He left very suddenly, so I understand.  Of course, he was not in our
+set, and so I know very little about him.  He studied hard, and kept
+much to himself, so he has always been somewhat of a mystery.  But say,
+Lois, never mind talking about him.  I want to ask you something, for I
+am going away to-morrow."
+
+"What is it, Sammie?" and again Lois laid down her work.  She had an
+idea what he wanted to say, though it did not affect her in the least.
+
+"I--I want to s-say," the young man stammered, "that you are the
+o-only----"
+
+Sammie was suddenly arrested in his protestation of love by Dick's
+voice at the door.
+
+"Say, come inside," he called.  "It's beginning to rain, and it's
+spoiled my ride this evening.  It's going to be confounded dull
+to-night, so give us some music, Lois, to liven things up a bit."
+
+With an amused smile, his sister willingly obeyed.  Sammie followed her
+into the house, mentally cursing Dick for his untimely interruption.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+A LITTLE CABIN
+
+Betty and old David had a great afternoon out upon the water in the
+small row-boat.  They were delighted with Lois, and after she had left
+them they watched her until she disappeared within the house.
+
+"Isn't she wonderful!" Betty exclaimed, as she at length picked up the
+oars which had been lying unused in the bottom of the boat.
+
+"Who is she, anyway?" her companion asked, for it was evident that he
+was as much lost in admiration as was the girl.
+
+"Oh, she's Miss Sinclair, Lois, they call her, and her father is very
+rich.  He is president, or something like that, of the street railway
+and the electric light company in the city.  Ma knows all about him,
+and she has told me a whole lot.  He was very poor once, so she says.
+He's awful mean and stuck up and won't have anything to do with the
+people he knew when he was young.  But his daughter isn't a bit like
+him.  She takes after her mother, so I understand, who was a very fine
+woman."
+
+"Does Mr. Sinclair live here all the time?" David inquired.  "I never
+heard of him before."
+
+"Oh, no.  He has a big house in the city.  He only bought this place
+last summer.  Lois has never been here before.  She came two weeks ago
+and I think she is going to stay till fall.  I hope she does, anyway.
+Won't it be great to have her here, so we can meet her and talk to her
+every Saturday afternoon?"
+
+"She seems to be a very fine young woman," David assented.
+
+"Indeed she is, and she's a nurse, too.  She's been away training in
+some hospital for several years, and has just got through."
+
+"Why should she want to be a nurse?" David asked.  "If her father has
+plenty of money why should his daughter want to earn her own living?"
+
+"It's because she's so independent, that's why.  She believes every one
+should earn her own living, and I guess she's right."
+
+A pained expression suddenly overspread the old man's face at these
+words.  But so engrossed was Betty with her own thoughts that she
+noticed nothing amiss.
+
+"I am going to be a nurse some day," the girl continued.  "Just as soon
+as I am old enough I am going to enter a hospital.  Then when I get
+through I can earn so much money and be such a help at home.  And I'm
+going to help you, too," she added as an afterthought.
+
+"No, child, that will not be necessary then," David replied.  "I shall
+have plenty of money of my own by the time you are a nurse.  I shall be
+manager of the biggest company the country has ever known, for it
+cannot be long now before people realise how wonderful is the scheme I
+have worked out.  They have been very slow to see, but I am sure that a
+great change is soon to take place."
+
+"But you might be sick, though," the girl insisted, "and will need me
+to nurse you.  I won't charge you anything, for I shall gladly do it
+for nothing because it will be you."
+
+"Oh, I wouldn't let you do it for nothing," was the reply.  "I shall
+pay you well and make up for all your kindness to me now when I am so
+poor."
+
+In this manner the two sat and talked.  Happy were they for the time,
+thinking and planning of the future which looked so bright in their
+eyes.  Neither did they notice for a while where they had drifted, for
+a stiff wind had risen and was drawing down the creek.  It was Betty
+who first realised their situation.
+
+"Oh, look where we are!" she cried, seizing the oars, and placing them
+in the row-locks.  "We can never get back against this wind, and the
+water is getting rougher all the time.  I believe it is going to rain."
+
+"Let me row," David suggested.  "I should be stronger than you."
+
+"Did you ever row?" the girl asked.
+
+"Only once.  But I think I could do it, though."
+
+"Well, I don't think you could.  You're not nearly as strong as I am."
+
+With that she settled herself to the task of pulling back into the
+creek against the wind which was dead ahead.  For some time there was
+silence as she toiled steadily at the oars.  Gradually, however, her
+strokes became weaker, and she was forced to rest.
+
+"I can't do it," she gasped.  "The wind is too strong."
+
+"What are we to do, then?" David asked.
+
+"Land on that shore over there.  I guess we can reach it all right."
+
+Again seizing the oars, she swung the boat partly around and pointed
+for the shore.  It was much easier now, and she made considerable
+progress.  The wind increased in strength, and at times the water
+dashed over the side of the boat.  To add to their discomfort the rain
+began to fall, and by the time the shore was reached their clothes were
+wet, and David felt cold.
+
+"Help me pull up the boat," Betty ordered.  "We'll tie it to that tree,
+and then we'll look around for some shelter.  There's a raftsman's
+cabin not far away, and maybe we can stay there."
+
+With the boat securely fastened, they made their way along the shore
+until they came to a path leading up from the water.  Following this
+through the bushes, they soon reached an open space, and there before
+them appeared a small building covered with tarred paper.
+
+"That's the place," Betty exclaimed, "and I know there is a stove there
+for I was in it once.  The raftsmen used it this last spring.  We can
+build a fire and dry our clothes before we go home."
+
+Betty was the first to reach the cabin, and as she pushed open the door
+she gave a cry of surprise.
+
+"What's the matter?" David inquired, thinking that she had been
+frightened.
+
+But Betty did not at once reply.  She stood in the middle of the room,
+looking around in a bewildered manner.
+
+"Well I never!" she at length declared.  "Why the place is all fixed
+up, and somebody must surely be living here.  Who can it be, for I
+never heard a word about it, and I thought that I knew everything that
+was going on in this parish.  Just look at that table now, with the
+dishes all washed so clean.  And there are books, too," she added, "and
+pictures on the wall.  I never knew a man could keep a room so neat."
+
+"How do you know that it is a man?" David asked.  "Perhaps it is a
+woman."
+
+"Why, that's easy enough," and Betty looked around the room.  "Don't
+you see a man's boots there, his clothes hanging up by the stove, and a
+package of tobacco on the window-sill?  I guess it's a man all right."
+
+"Perhaps you are right," David assented.  "You know more about such
+things than I do.  Anyway, it's nice to be here out of the storm.  But
+do you think the man will mind when he comes back and finds us here?
+He might be very angry with us."
+
+"Let him get angry, then," and Betty gave her head a slight toss.  "I
+don't care for angry men.  If I can match Jim Goban, I guess I can
+handle any man who comes here.  Leave that to me, and don't you worry.
+I'm going to do a little exploring, anyway.  I want to see what's in
+that other room.  Ah, just what I thought," she continued, when she had
+opened the door and entered.  "It's the bed-room, and the bed is not
+made.  That shows all right that a man lives here.  A woman would never
+think of going away and leaving the bed like that.  I'm going to open
+the window and air the room.  Men always keep the windows shut tight,
+and the house gets so stuffy.  There, that's better," she panted, as
+after some difficulty she forced the window up.  "I'm going to make up
+that bed just as soon as I get the fire going."
+
+There was a box full of dry wood behind the stove, and soon she had a
+fire burning brightly.  She next partly filled a small kettle with
+water and set it upon the stove.
+
+"You had better take off your wet coat," she suggested to David.
+"You'll get your death of cold if you keep it on much longer."
+
+"Can't I help you?" the old man inquired, as he stood watching with
+admiration the girl's light step and the skilful way she did
+everything.  There was a longing in his eyes as well, for he wanted to
+be of some use but did not know how.
+
+"Yes, you can help me," and Betty smiled upon him, "by taking that coat
+off and sitting down upon that nice cosy place near the stove.  It was
+certainly made for comfort, and the man who owns this building must
+spend his evenings there.  What a lot of books he has.  He must read a
+great deal."
+
+David was only too glad to obey, so after he had taken off his coat and
+hung it up back of the stove to dry, he stretched himself at full
+length upon the settle.
+
+"This does feel good," and he gave a sigh of relief.
+
+"You're tired, that's what's the trouble with you," Betty replied.
+"You shouldn't have a bit of work to do.  You're too old, and you
+should have some one to look after you all the time."
+
+"How nice it would be if we could live in a place like this, and not go
+back to Jim Goban's.  Would you be willing to take care of me?" David
+asked.
+
+"Sure, I would like nothing better.  But, then, there are some things
+in the way."
+
+"What are they?"
+
+"Well, you see, there's the question of money.  We haven't any
+ourselves, and I don't think any one is likely to drop it at our feet
+in a hurry.  And besides, Jim's got you for a year and he wouldn't want
+to give you up; he's going to get a lot of work out of you, so he
+plans."
+
+"I know that only too well, Betty.  But when I get rich, I mean.  If I
+had a little place like this you would look after me, would you not?  I
+would pay you well, and we could be so happy."
+
+"Indeed we could.  But you haven't the money yet and we must try to be
+as happy as we can in the meantime.  That's what ma says, and she
+really does practise it.  So I've got to look after you now when you
+can't pay me.  I'm going to see if I can't find something to eat.  The
+man who lives here surely doesn't live on air.  He must have some food
+in the house."
+
+It did not take Betty long to find the cupboard.  This was nothing more
+than a box nailed to the wall, on which a rude door had been fastened.
+There were three shelves and on these were a loaf of bread, some cold
+meat, potatoes, eggs and cheese.
+
+"Isn't this great!" she exclaimed, as she brought forth what she
+needed.  "I can warm up these potatoes, and we shall have a grand
+supper."
+
+"I am worrying about the man who owns those things," David remarked.
+"He might not mind our using his house, but when it comes to making
+free with his provisions, it might be a different matter.  Do you think
+it is right for us to touch them?"
+
+"We won't take all," and Betty stood before the table eying the meat
+and potatoes.  "We can leave enough for him.  If he is a kind man he
+will not mind our taking some of his supper.  How dark it is getting,"
+she added.  "I shall light that lamp.  Now, isn't that better," she
+continued when this had been accomplished.  "We shall have supper in a
+short time."
+
+While Betty busied herself about the stove, David remained stretched
+out upon the settle.  Outside, the storm increased in fury, and the
+rain heat against the window.  Within, all was snug and warm.  The girl
+even hummed softly to herself as she went on with her work.
+
+When supper was ready, Betty spoke to David.  As he made no reply, she
+went to his side and, to her surprise, found that he was asleep.  An
+expression of tender compassion came into the girl's eyes as she
+watched him.  She knew how tired he was and she would not wake him.  It
+was better, so she thought, that he should sleep.  Drawing up a chair,
+she sat down by his side.  A feeling came to her that it was her duty
+to care for this old man who was so helpless.  She could not do much,
+but when Betty Bean had once made up her mind it was seldom that she
+could be turned from her purpose.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+UNMASKED
+
+All the morning Jasper Randall was busy hoeing potatoes in the large
+field near the main highway.  He liked the work, for he was alone and
+could give himself up to thought as he drove the hoe into the yielding
+earth.  His task suited him well, and as he tore out innumerable weeds,
+slashing down a big one here and another there, he was in reality
+overcoming and defeating opponents of the brain.  They were all there
+between the rows, and he could see them so plainly.  The lesser ones he
+could sweep away at one stroke, but that quitch grass was more
+difficult to conquer.  He could cut it off, but its roots would remain
+firmly embedded in the ground and would spring forth again.  It was a
+nasty, persistent weed.  Little wonder that he attacked it most
+fiercely, for it reminded him of the weed of injustice with which he
+had been contending for years.  Other enemies, like the smaller weeds,
+he could overcome, but injustice, that quitch grass of life, was what
+stung him to fury.  Little did Simon Squabbles, the tight old
+skin-flint, realise that the lone man working in his potato field was
+doing the work of two men that morning, and at the same time slaying a
+whole battalion of bitter enemies.  The contest was continued during
+the afternoon.  The quitch grass was thicker now, and the struggle
+harder.  With savage delight Jasper had just torn out a whole handful
+and had shaken it free from its earth as a dog would shake a rat, when
+the honk of an auto caused him to look toward the road.  As he did so,
+his face underwent a marvellous transformation.  The car was only a few
+seconds in passing, but it was sufficient for him to recognise the
+occupants, see the amused expression upon their faces, and hear their
+salutation of "Spuds," as they sped by.  His strong, supple body
+trembled as he leaned for a while upon his hoe and gazed down the road
+after the rapidly disappearing car.  He must have remained thus for
+several minutes oblivious to everything else.  Neither did he see his
+hard taskmaster watching him in the distance.  But when he again
+resumed his hoeing he worked more fiercely than ever, and there was
+danger at times lest the frail hoe should break beneath his tremendous
+strokes.  Up one row and down another he moved all the afternoon.  He
+seemed like a giant tearing up the earth, rather than a man performing
+a prosaic task.  When toward evening the sky darkened, the wind began
+to blow and the rain to fall, he hardly noticed it at first.  Only when
+the earth became mucky and stuck constantly to his hoe, did he leave
+his work and go across the field toward the barn.  It was time, anyway,
+to help with the chores.  He was anxious to get through that he might
+go home.  He was glad that it was Saturday, for he would have the next
+day free.
+
+It was dark by the time his tasks were done, and then he went to the
+house for his week's pay.  He had agreed to work for a dollar and a
+half a day, and get his own breakfast and supper at home.  Thus he had
+nine dollars coming to him for his week's work.  He was surprised,
+therefore, when Simon Squabbles handed him out only eight dollars and
+fifty cents.
+
+"There is some mistake here," Jasper remarked as he counted over the
+money.  "I want fifty cents more."
+
+"That's all you're goin' to get," Simon replied.  "I saw ye loafin'
+this afternoon when ye should have been workin', an' 'no work, no pay'
+is my motto."
+
+"Loafing, do you say?" Jasper asked, thinking that he had not heard
+aright.
+
+"Sure.  Didn't I see ye leanin' on yer hoe watchin' that car which went
+down the road?  An' ye stood there a long time, too."
+
+Into Jasper's eyes leaped an angry fire.  He understood now the man he
+had to deal with.  So he had been watching him, and he had taken no
+account of the work he had done all day.
+
+"You were spying upon me, eh?" he retorted.  "Didn't you see how I did
+the work of two men to-day?"
+
+"All I know is that you were loafin' when I saw ye, an' that was
+enough."
+
+"Look here, Simon Squabbles," and Jasper stepped close to his employer,
+"if you were not as old as you are, I'd tie you into a bowknot in the
+twinkling of an eye.  You're not fit to be called a man, and not
+another stroke of work do you get from me.  Keep the fifty cents, if it
+will do you any good.  I am trying to make an honest living, but
+creatures such as you are the ones who make it almost impossible."
+
+The blood surged through Jasper's veins as he plodded along the muddy
+road towards his humble cabin.  The rain beat upon him and soaked his
+clothes, but he did not seem to heed it, so filled was his mind with
+the contemptible meanness of old Squabbles.  He was in no pleasant
+mood, and his hands often clenched hard together as he moved through
+the darkness.  What he was to do in the future, he did not know.
+Neither did he much care.  A reckless spirit was upon him.  The whole
+world was seething with injustice, so he believed.  He had tried to be
+honest, to make his way, but he had been foiled at every step.  Why
+should he try any longer?  Simon Squabbles prospered through injustice;
+Dick Sinclair could ride along in his car, dressed in the height of
+fashion, while he had to eke out a precarious living by hoeing
+potatoes.  Dick's father had made his money in an unscrupulous manner,
+and was held up as a shrewd business man.  Would it not be as well for
+him to hurl himself into the game and win out, no matter how?
+
+Thinking thus, he came near his cabin, when a light arrested his
+attention.  He stopped short in his tracks and peered through the
+darkness.  At first he believed that he must be mistaken.  But no, it
+shone steadily before him, and he knew that some one was there.  The
+thought made him angry, and he hurried forward, determined to make an
+example of the one who had dared to meddle with his property.
+
+Reaching the building, he peered cautiously through the uncurtained
+window.  As he did so, his anger suddenly ceased when he beheld the
+pathetic scene within, of an old man lying asleep upon the couch and a
+young girl patiently watching by his side.  Why they were there he did
+not know, though he felt certain that great necessity must have driven
+them to take refuge in a strange cabin.  He recognised old David as the
+man he had met that night on the road listening to the voice of Break
+Neck Falls.  He knew that he had been sold to Jim Goban for one year,
+and the transaction had rankled in his soul for days.  The girl he did
+not know, but she seemed to him like a ministering angel watching over
+the slumber of the sleeping man.  This thought caused him to study her
+more intently, for notwithstanding his strength and independence of
+mind, he could not forget the pictures he had seen and the stories he
+had heard as a child of angels coming to earth on special deeds of
+mercy.  He banished this idea, however, in an instant, and even smiled
+at his own foolishness as he turned away from the window and moved
+around the corner of the cabin.
+
+He was about to push open the door and enter when a sudden notion came
+into his mind which caused him to pause.  He stood there with the rain
+beating upon him as he thought over the idea.  Then he stepped toward
+the door and gave a gentle tap.  In a few seconds Betty stood before
+him, peering into the darkness.  The sight of the large man standing
+there caused her to start and draw somewhat back.
+
+"Excuse me," Jasper began, "but could you give me shelter?  It is a
+rough night and I am wet and hungry.  I am sorry to disturb you, but I
+saw the light from the road and knew that some one was living here."
+
+"Come in," the girl at once replied.  "We have a good fire and supper
+is all ready, such as it is," and she gave a little laugh as she moved
+back into the room.  "We are strangers, too, and I do not know what the
+owner will say when he comes back and finds us here."
+
+"Oh, I shall take care of you," Jasper returned.  "He won't make a fuss
+when he sees me.  If he does, we'll pitch him out of the door, eh?"
+
+"I guess you could do it all right," and Betty smiled as she looked at
+him.  "Mr. David will be so pleased to see you when he wakes.  He likes
+good company."
+
+"How do you know I am good company?" Jasper asked.  "Maybe I'm as cross
+as two sticks."
+
+"Well, then, you can't stay if you are."
+
+"You couldn't put me out, could you?"
+
+"Couldn't I, though?  I guess you don't know me.  Jim Goban once said
+that I could beat the devil with my tongue alone, and I guess Jim ought
+to know by this time what I'm like when I get my ginger up.  But you're
+not that kind of a man.  I can tell by your eyes that you're all right.
+If you're a little cranky now, it's because you're hungry.  As soon as
+you get something to eat you'll be as sweet as molasses candy.  Most
+men are that way."
+
+The sound of voices woke old David, and sitting suddenly up he looked
+inquiringly around the room as if uncertain where he was.
+
+"Don't be afraid, Mr. David," Betty assured him.  "Supper's all ready,
+and we have a visitor as hard up as we are to share it with us.  So
+come at once and let us get through."
+
+Jasper was greatly amused at the way Betty took full possession of
+everything in the place.  There was nothing forward about her, for she
+seemed more like a grown-up woman than a girl.  He admired her
+confident and buoyant manner, as well as the thoughtful and deferential
+way she looked after the old man.  The best on the table was for him
+and he had to be served first.  She treated him sometimes as a child,
+but more often as a superior being.  He noted the look of reverential
+respect in her eyes as she turned them upon him, and he wondered.
+
+During the meal David acted the part of a perfect gentleman.  His
+manners could not have been better had he been at a royal banquet
+instead of a most humble repast in a rude cabin.  He asked Jasper no
+questions but talked merely about his experience upon the river that
+afternoon.  He was somewhat anxious lest the owner of the cabin should
+return and resent their intrusion.  Jasper endeavoured to allay his
+fears, reminding him that no one in his senses would be angry at people
+seeking refuge on such a night.
+
+During the meal Betty had been observing Jasper quite closely, and once
+the semblance of a twinkle might have been detected in her eyes.  She
+made no remark, however, as to what she was thinking, but while the men
+smoked when supper was over, she busied herself washing up the few
+dishes.
+
+Under the soothing influence of the tobacco David became talkative.  He
+was pleased to have so attentive a listener as Jasper, and unfolded to
+him his wonderful secret.
+
+"Mr. David is going to be a very rich man some day," Betty remarked, as
+she paused in wiping the dishes.
+
+"I am pleased to hear that," Jasper replied.  "Money is the only thing
+that counts these days."
+
+"Yes," the girl continued, "he is going to be very rich, and I am going
+to look after him.  We shall have such a nice little house and be so
+very, very happy."
+
+While Betty was talking, the old man fumbled in an inside pocket and
+brought forth several papers.
+
+"See," and he held one of them up so the light of the lamp would fall
+upon it, "it is all here.  You can understand my plan much better from
+this.  Here is Break Neck Falls, and just below it the plant will be
+placed.  From there power will radiate throughout the entire country.
+The whole thing is so simple that it is a wonder to me that it has not
+been thought of before."
+
+"Isn't it great!" Betty exclaimed, looking over the old man's shoulder.
+"And to think that Mr. David worked it all out himself."
+
+As Jasper sat and watched the two animated faces before him, he had not
+the heart to say a word that would in any way dampen their enthusiasm.
+Nevertheless, it seemed to him so ridiculous that old David's scheme
+could ever meet with any success.  How was he to interest people who
+had the means to carry his plan into effect?  But if the thought of
+doing great things would give him any happiness, he would be the last
+one to remove such a hope.
+
+The storm raged outside and the wind beat against the window as the
+three sat and talked.  The room was warm and cosy, and Jasper was
+pleased to have these two visitors on such a lonely night.  Simon
+Squabbles and his meanness he forgot for awhile as he listened to Betty
+as she told him of her home life.  It was just what he needed to take
+him out of himself, and to make him think of others.  But when the girl
+spoke of Lois and how she had been with them that afternoon on the
+river, he became doubly interested.
+
+"Oh, you must see her," Betty exclaimed.  "She is the most wonderful
+person I ever saw.  Isn't it strange that you have never met her!"
+
+"Why, what chance have I had?" Jasper asked.  "Anyway, she wouldn't
+want anything to do with such a rough fellow as I am."
+
+"Indeed she would.  She's not that kind; there's nothing stuckup about
+her.  Maybe you'll see her passing some day.  She might call, too, for
+she is so friendly."
+
+"Call!  What do you mean?  How could she call upon me if I am miles
+away from this place?"
+
+"Oh, but you won't be.  You'll be right here where you have been for
+some time."
+
+Into Jasper's eyes came a look of surprise, and he felt his face flush
+under the girl's keen scrutiny.
+
+"There, I knew I was right," she laughed in glee.
+
+"You thought you could deceive me, did you?"
+
+"Why, how in the world did you know that I live here?" Jasper asked.
+"Did anybody tell you?"
+
+"No, certainly not.  But the Lord didn't give Betty Bean eyes and a
+mind for nothing.  Who else would be poking around this place on a
+night like this but the owner?  And didn't you know where your dry coat
+was when you came in? and your slippers? and your pipe and tobacco?
+and----"
+
+"There, there, you have produced evidence enough, and I plead guilty,"
+Jasper laughed.  He was greatly amused at the girl's quickness.  "You
+are not offended, are you, at the little joke I played upon you?"
+
+"Oh, no, not all.  But next time you do anything like that try it upon
+a man.  A woman's eyes are pretty sharp, and it's hard to deceive her.
+Mine are, anyway."
+
+David had listened to this conversation and slowly the truth dawned
+upon him that the owner of the cabin was before him.
+
+"I wish to apologise, sir," he began, "for our rudeness in entering
+your house.  It was only necessity which compelled us to do so, I
+assure you, and when I am in a position, I shall recompense you
+handsomely for the entertainment to-night."
+
+"Please do not say a word about it," Jasper replied.  "I am very
+thankful that you have been able to make use of my humble abode.  I
+have enjoyed your company very much.  But I think it is time for us to
+retire, as you need rest.  The girl can use that room there, while you
+can sleep upon that cot."
+
+"But what about yourself?" David inquired.
+
+"Oh, I shall make a place for myself right by the stove.  I shall be
+very comfortable there."
+
+David at first refused to listen to such an arrangement, but Jasper was
+determined and claimed a host's privilege of making his guests as
+comfortable as possible.  He sat for some time at the little table
+after David and Betty had gone to sleep.  He dwelt long and carefully
+upon the rude plan the old man had shown him.  The more he studied it,
+the more convinced he became that there was a great deal in it after
+all.  But it would mean much money, and he sighed as he at length blew
+out the light, stretched himself upon the floor, and drew a great coat
+over his body.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+OUT OF BONDAGE
+
+During the night the storm broke, and the morning was fine and warm.
+After breakfast Jasper and David sat on a log outside and smoked.
+Betty was busy in the house, washing the dishes and tidying up the
+rooms.  She hummed softly to herself as she moved lightly across the
+floor.  She was anxious to get through as quickly as possible that she
+might take David back to Jim Goban's.  She felt a little uneasy for his
+sake as she knew how angry his taskmaster would be with him.  For
+herself she did not care.  If Jim said too much, she could leave him at
+once.  And yet she did not wish to go, for she felt that she must look
+after this old man who was so helpless and depended so much upon her
+for protection.
+
+When her work was finished, she joined the men outside.
+
+"It's time we were going, Mr. David," she began.  "The river is calm
+now, and it will not be hard rowing back."
+
+"I wish you could stay here all day," Jasper replied.  "I shall feel
+very lonely when you go."
+
+"But we shall come to see you again, sir.  It has been so good of you
+to keep us.  But Jim Goban will be angry if we do not hurry home.  I
+know how he will rage as it is.  The longer we stay the harder it will
+be for him," and she pointed to David.
+
+Scarcely had she finished speaking ere a team was heard driving
+furiously along the road.
+
+"Oh, it's Jim now!" the girl cried, "and I know he is mad by the way he
+is driving.  He's stopping at the gate, too!"
+
+Jim had seen them from the road, and having tied his horse to a tree,
+he made his way swiftly along the little path leading to the cabin.  He
+was certainly in no pleasant frame of mind, and when he came near he
+gave vent to his feelings in coarse, brutal language.
+
+David, rose and advanced to meet the angry man, hoping in some way to
+appease his rage, but in this he was mistaken.
+
+"Ye old cuss," Jim shouted, "what do ye mean by runnin' away with that
+girl?  Ye look as meek as a lamb but I guess ye're about as near a
+devil as they make 'em."
+
+"He didn't run away with me," Betty sharply replied.  "I ran away with
+him, that's the way it was, and you needn't get on your high horse, Jim
+Goban.  You, yourself, would be the first one to run away with a girl
+if you could find one crazy enough to run with you."
+
+"Shet up, ye fool," Jim shouted.  "I didn't ask you to speak."
+
+"I know you didn't," the girl calmly returned, "but that doesn't make
+any difference.  This is a free country, isn't it?  We didn't ask you
+to come here and make such a fuss, so you can go if you are not
+satisfied with our company.  We're quite happy where we are."
+
+"But I'm not goin' without that cuss," and Jim looked savagely at the
+old man.  "You kin stay if ye want to with the guy who owns this cabin.
+There'll be a nice little story fer the gossips before long, ha, ha."
+
+At these words Jasper started, while his face went white and his hands
+clenched together.  He had listened in silence to Jim's tirade, and was
+only waiting an opportunity to explain how the old man and the girl
+happened to be at his place.  But this pointed reference to him was
+more than he could endure.
+
+"What do you mean by that statement?" he asked, taking a quick step
+forward.  "Please explain yourself."
+
+"There's nothin' to explain," and Jim gave a coarse laugh.  "The
+neighbours will do all the explainin' that is necessary."
+
+"No, that's not the thing.  You made an insinuation, and it's up to you
+to explain before you leave.  I have nothing to do with the neighbours;
+it's you I am dealing with now.  Yon have insulted this feeble old man,
+and uttered words in reference to me and this girl.  I want to know
+what you mean."
+
+"I don't have to explain anything," Jim retorted.  "You mind yer own
+business, and go to ----"
+
+The oath had hardly left his lips ere Jasper with one lightning blow
+hit him squarely between the eyes.  Jim reeled back, and then with a
+frightful oath leaped forward.  But he was powerless before Jasper's
+superior training and soon he was sprawling upon the ground while his
+opponent stood bending over him.
+
+"Had enough, eh?" Jasper asked.  "If you want some more, get up.  I
+haven't had half enough yet."
+
+"Leave me alone," Jim mumbled.  "You'll pay up for this.  I'll fix ye."
+
+"What's that you say?" and Jasper stooped lower, "You're going to pay
+me back?  Well, then, I might as well fix you now, so you won't be able
+to do anything in the future.  I might as well have my satisfaction
+when I can get it.  So get up, or I'll knock the life out of your
+measley carcass."
+
+Seeing that Jasper was in earnest, Jim scrambled to his feet and barely
+dodged the blow rained at his head.
+
+"Fer God's sake, stop!" he yelled.  "I won't do anything to ye.  I
+promise on me word of honour."
+
+"And, you'll be good to this old man?" Jasper demanded.
+
+"Yes, yes," and Jim trembled in every limb.  "I'll be good to him if ye
+don't hit me agin."
+
+For a few seconds Jasper looked contemptuously upon the creature
+cowering before film.  He felt that he was lying, and just as soon as
+he was out of his sight he would treat old David in a shameful manner,
+and he himself would be helpless to interfere.  What could he do? he
+asked himself.  A sudden idea came into his mind.
+
+"What do you get for the keep of this old man?" he asked.
+
+"Only a hundred," was the surly reply.  "Not half enough."
+
+"Well, look here, will you give him to me?  I will take care of him for
+nothing."
+
+Into Jim Goban's eyes came a look of surprise mingled with doubt.  The
+man must surely be making sport of him, he thought.  Then his natural
+cupidity overcame him.  Here was a chance to get clear of the pauper
+and at the same time receive money for his keep.  But how would the
+overseers of the poor regard such a transaction?
+
+"Will you let me have him?" Jasper again asked.
+
+"Give me twenty-five dollars and he is yours," Jim replied.
+
+"Twenty-five dollars!  No, not a cent.  You will make out of it as it
+is; far more than you deserve."
+
+"I can't do it, then," and Jim made as though to go.  "Come on," he
+ordered David and Betty.  "Let's git away from here."
+
+"Hold on," and Jasper stepped, up close to him; "if you do not let me
+have the old man, I'll lay a charge against you for ill treating him, I
+saw enough this morning to satisfy any one.  Let me have him, and you
+need have no more worry.  Refuse, and you will regret it."
+
+"But what will the overseers say if I give him up?" Jim whined.
+
+"Oh, that can be easily settled.  If they make a fuss, send them to me.
+But I guess they won't bother their heads."
+
+Jim still hesitated.  He longed to get more out of this bargain.
+
+"Hurry up," Jasper demanded.  "What do you say?"
+
+"Oh, take the cuss, then.  I wish ye joy of him.  I'm off now.  Come,
+girl, let's git home."
+
+During the whole of this affair Betty had been a most interested and
+excited witness.  She was delighted at the thought of David's freedom,
+and when Jim at last agreed to part with him she could hardly repress a
+cry of joy.  It took her but a second to make up her mind, and she was
+ready when Jim spoke to her.
+
+"I'm not going with you," she told him.
+
+"Not goin'!  Why, what d'ye mean?" and Jim looked his astonishment.
+
+"I'm going to stay with Mr. David.  He needs me more than you do.  I'm
+going to take him to my own home.  He will be happy there and treated
+like a gentleman."
+
+"Ho, ho! so that's the game, eh?  Treat him like a gentleman!  Well, do
+as ye like; it's nothin' to me, so I'm off."
+
+They watched him as he strode across the field, unhitched his horse and
+drove away.
+
+"There, we're rid of him at last," and Jasper gave a sigh of relief.
+
+"Isn't it great!" Betty exclaimed turning to David.  "To think that you
+are going home with me!"
+
+But the old man was looking at Jasper and did not hear the girl's cry
+of delight.  In his eyes was an expression of gratitude.  He tried to
+speak but words failed him, and tears flowed down his cheeks.  Jasper
+was visibly moved, and turned suddenly to Betty.
+
+"You are willing to keep him for awhile?" he asked.
+
+"Yes.  Mother will be so pleased to have him, and I will work hard to
+help her."
+
+"Where will you work?  At Jim Goban's?"
+
+"No, I am through there.  But I will get work somewhere.  I will talk
+it over with mother.  I think we had better be going now."
+
+Thrusting his hand into his pocket Jasper brought forth several bills.
+
+"Take these," he said, "they are all I can give you now, but you shall
+have more later."
+
+"But you need the money yourself," the girl replied.
+
+"Not as much as you will need it.  So say nothing more about it.
+Good-bye.  I hope to see you again."
+
+Jasper watched the two as they moved slowly across the field and then
+disappeared down the road.  He felt lonely when they were gone, and he
+sat for some time in front of the cabin lost in thought.  At times he
+called himself a fool for what he had done.  Why should he be burdened
+with that old man when he could hardly make his own living?  And
+besides, he had no work to do, and had given away his last dollar.  But
+notwithstanding all this, a secret feeling of satisfaction stole into
+his heart that he had helped old David and had taken him out of Jim
+Goban's clutches.
+
+As he sat there the bell of the nearby church rang forth, and he
+realised for the first time that it was Sunday morning.  He did not
+feel in a mood for attending service.  He needed a long walk to think,
+and shake off the spirit of depression that was stealing over him.
+
+Entering the cabin, he prepared a small lunch, and then closing the
+door he struck out across the field in the direction of Break Neck
+Falls.  He wished to go there to view the scene where David planned to
+erect his plant and do such wonderful things.  He smiled grimly to
+himself as he thought of the old man's delusion.  Reaching the brow of
+the hill just where the trail started from the main road, he paused and
+looked down to his left.  He could see clearly Peter Sinclair's house
+with the tall trees surrounding it.  Bitter feelings came into his
+heart as he stood there.  Over yonder lived a man who had the power to
+do so much good in the world.  He could help old David and give him a
+comfortable home for the rest of his life.  Why should some men have so
+much of this world's goods and others so little?  he asked himself.
+Then he thought of Dick, and a contemptuous smile curled his lips.  He
+recalled his feelings the previous day when he had watched the car go
+by and listened to the salutation of "Spuds."
+
+And standing there his feelings suddenly underwent a marvellous change,
+for walking slowly across the field was Lois on her way to church.  She
+was some distance away so Jasper was sure that she could not see him.
+As in the past so now he was forced to worship her afar off.  It was
+not for him, poor and unknown, to draw any closer.  The trees along the
+path she walked could bend above her and the bright flowers could smile
+up into her face.  But for him there could be no such favours.  He was
+half tempted to hasten back to church.  There he could be quite near
+and watch her.  He banished this thought, however, as he glanced down
+at his own rough clothes and coarse boots.
+
+Jasper watched Lois until she disappeared from view behind a clump of
+birch trees.  Then leaving the highway he walked slowly along the trail
+leading to the falls.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+AT THE CLOSE OF A DAY
+
+High up on the bank of the brook which flows down from Break Neck Falls
+Jasper sat leaning against the bole of a large tree.  It was drawing
+toward evening and long slanting shadows were falling athwart the
+landscape.  It was a hot afternoon and the shade of the old spruce was
+refreshing.  By his side was a rough birch fishing rod, and nearby
+wrapped up in cool, moist leaves were several fair-sized trout.  Jasper
+had not been fishing for pleasure, but merely for food, as his scanty
+supply was almost gone.  The fish would serve him for supper and
+breakfast.  Beyond that he could not see, for he had not the least idea
+what he was to do to earn a living, and at the same time assist old
+David.
+
+Though the day was exceptionally fine, Jasper did not enjoy it as at
+other times.  His mind was too much occupied with other matters.  All
+things seemed to be against him in his struggle to advance.  It had
+been the same for years, and now the climax had been reached.  What was
+he to do? he had asked himself over and over again during the
+afternoon.  Should he give up in despair?  What was the use of trying
+any longer?  He had seen young men succeeding in life who had not made
+any efforts.  Money and influence had pushed them along.  Dick Sinclair
+would soon join their ranks.  He had lived, a life of indolence, and
+yet it would be only a short time ere he would be looked upon as a
+prominent citizen.  The papers would speak of his ability and write
+glowing articles about whatever he did.  Where was the justice of it
+all? he questioned.  Did not real worth and effort amount to anything
+in life's struggle?
+
+At length, tired with such thoughts, he drew forth from an inside
+pocket a small book.  It was well marked and showed constant usage.  It
+was a volume of Emerson's Essays, a number of which he knew almost by
+heart.  It was only natural that the book should open at the essay on
+Self-reliance, for there the pages were most thumb-marked.  His eyes
+rested upon the words: "There is a time in every man's education when
+he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance."  He read on to
+the beginning of the next paragraph, "Trust thyself: every heart
+vibrates to that iron string."
+
+The book dropped from Jasper's hand and once more he gave himself up to
+thought.  He knew how true were those words.  He realised that envy is
+ignorance, and it was his duty to rise above it.  Why should he spend
+his strength in envying others?  He would conquer and make them envy
+him.  Ah, that idea brought a flush to his face.  He would trust
+himself, as Emerson said, and some day the very ones who looked down
+upon him and spurned him would come to him.  How he was to accomplish
+this Jasper had no idea.  But there was comfort in thinking about it,
+anyway, and he felt sure that a way would be opened whereby he could
+succeed.
+
+He was aroused from his musing by the sound of voices.  Looking quickly
+down toward the brook, he saw three people walking along the bank.  He
+recognised them at once as Lois, Dick and Sammie.  At first he was
+tempted to withdraw farther back among the trees lest he should be
+seen.  He abandoned this idea, however, feeling quite certain that he
+would not be noticed where he was.  Lois and Sammie were walking
+together, while Dick was a short distance ahead.  What they were saying
+he could not make out, neither did he care.  He had eyes only for the
+young woman, and he noted how beautiful she appeared as she walked with
+such an upright graceful swing.  Was she happy in Sammie's company? he
+wondered.  She was laughing now, and seemed to be greatly amused at
+something her companion was saying.  Jasper noted all this, and then
+called himself a fool for imagining that she could ever think of him.
+No doubt she had already given her heart to the young man by her side,
+so he might as well banish her from his mind at once.  He would go away
+and never see her again.
+
+Acting upon this impulse, he was about to move softly among the trees
+and disappear.  He had placed his book in his pocket and had reached
+for his fish when a cry of terror fell upon his ears.  In an instant he
+was on his feet, peering keenly down to see what was the matter.  In a
+twinkling he grasped the whole situation.  Just across the brook a wall
+of rough rocks shelved upwards to the height of about twenty feet.
+Below, the water swirled and dashed over jagged boulders, receiving its
+impetus from the falls farther up stream.  The path led along the top,
+and in some unaccountable manner Lois had slipped and fallen over the
+edge, and had gone swiftly down toward the rushing current below.  She
+grasped frantically at everything on which she could lay her hands, and
+was only able to arrest her downward descent when a few feet from the
+water.  And there she clung with the desperation of despair, while her
+two companions stood above half-paralysed with fear, and unable to
+assist her.
+
+When Jasper saw Lois go down to what seemed certain destruction, he
+sprang forward and leaped down the bank as if shot from a catapult.
+Into the brook he recklessly dashed and like a giant forced his way
+across the current and around hidden boulders.  At times it seemed as
+if he could not keep his feet and that he must be swept away.  But that
+picture of the clinging woman nerved him to superhuman efforts, and
+slowly but surely he edged his way toward her.  When a few feet from
+the base of the rock, he saw Lois relax and slip downward.  Barely had
+she touched the water ere Jasper with a mighty effort leaped forward
+and caught her in his arms.  Then in an instant they were both swept
+away.  Fortunately, Jasper was a strong swimmer, and as they shot
+forward he was able to keep Lois' head above water, and work steadily
+toward the shore.
+
+By this time Dick and Sammie had so far recovered from their fright
+that they were able to hurry down stream, and stand on the edge of the
+stream where the bank sloped gently to the water.  Here they stood for
+several fearful seconds watching Jasper as he struggled toward them.
+They took special care not to wet their feet, but merely reached out
+and helped to pull Lois ashore and lay her upon the dry ground.  More
+than that they were unable to do, and naturally turned toward Jasper
+for help.
+
+"We must get her home at once," the latter remarked, kneeling by the
+side of the prostrate woman.  "I am afraid she has been injured by the
+fall."
+
+Fortunately, at that instant Lois opened her eyes and fixed them upon
+him in a dazed manner.  Then she remembered what had happened, and sat
+suddenly up and looked around.
+
+"My, I have given you a great fright," she said.  "It was stupid of me
+to trip over that root."
+
+"Are you hurt, Lois?" Dick inquired.
+
+"I am somewhat bruised, that is all.  I think I must have fainted and
+let go of the rock.  How did I get here?"
+
+"Oh, Spuds got hold of you and brought you out," Dick explained.
+
+Lois at once turned her eyes upon Jasper who was now standing a few
+feet away.  She noticed his drenched clothes, and also that there was
+blood upon his forehead.
+
+"You are hurt," she cried.  "You have struck your head."
+
+"It's nothing, I assure you," and Jasper gave a slight laugh.  "I must
+have hit it against a rock when we went down, that was all.  It will
+soon get better.  Never mind me, I am all right.  But you must get home
+at once."
+
+"Yes, come, Lois," and Sammie, speaking for the first time since the
+accident, stepped forward.  "We must get you home at once.  Never mind
+this fellow; he doesn't matter."
+
+"Indeed he does," Lois emphatically replied.  "He saved my life, and I
+can never thank him enough."
+
+"But I would have saved you, Lois.  I was just coming to rescue you
+when this fellow, who was spying upon us from the bushes, got to you
+first."
+
+Lois never forgot the look on Jasper's face as the jealous Sammie
+uttered this insinuation.  He drew himself up to his full height, and
+his eyes glowed with a sudden light of anger.  She saw his lips move as
+if about to utter words of protest.  Instead, however, he quickly
+turned, left them, and walking along the bank for a short distance
+reached a fordable place in the brook.  He plunged into the water and
+after a brief struggle reached the opposite bank and disappeared among
+the trees.
+
+Lois stood and watched him until he was out of sight.  She was faint
+and greatly annoyed at Sammie's words.  She knew now what a cad and a
+coward he really was, and was not even man enough to give credit to the
+one who had rescued her.
+
+"Come, Dick," and she turned to her brother, "let's go home," was the
+only remark she made, as she took his arm and walked slowly along the
+path leading from the brook.  She took no notice of the crestfallen
+Sammie, who trudged along behind wondering what had come over the young
+woman that she should act in such a strange manner.
+
+Jasper could not fully understand the strange feeling that had come
+over him at Sammie's unjust insinuation.  His first lightning thought
+was to knock the fellow down.  Then he wanted to explain, to say that
+he had not been spying.  But he knew that if he spoke he might get
+excited.  No, it was better for him to leave at once, and let Lois
+think whatever she liked.  He had saved her and that was all he cared
+for.  But as he moved along through the woods, the few words she had
+said and the expression in her eyes acted as balm to his wounded
+feelings.  He made up his mind, however, not to be caught in such a way
+again.  He would take good care to keep away from the Sinclairs after
+that.
+
+Going back to the place where he had left his fish, he picked them up
+and started down along the brook.  He wished to get back to his cabin
+as quickly as possible that he might change his wet clothes.  He was
+hungry as well, and he longed for a couple of the trout he had caught.
+He thought much of Lois, and wondered how she was getting along.  He
+hoped that she had not been seriously injured and that she would not
+catch cold from her plunge into the water.  He could not forget the
+feeling that had come over him as he had sprung forward and caught her
+as she was falling.  He should remember that sensation for the rest of
+his life, no matter what happened.
+
+Having reached the end of the trail, he moved swiftly along the main
+highway.  He was almost to his cabin when he saw an auto by the side of
+the road.  Something had evidently gone wrong, for two men were
+anxiously examining it.  Jasper was about to pass when one of the men
+accosted him.
+
+"Excuse me," he began, "but could you tell me if there is a hotel or
+any place where we can get supper?  We have been stalled here for some
+time, and my chauffeur can't find what is the matter with the car."
+
+"There is no hotel," Jasper replied, "and I know of no people who serve
+meals.  But I have a place right near, and you are welcome to such
+accommodation as I have.  It is very humble, and I warn you not to
+expect much.  I have merely bachelor's quarters, and so am my own
+housekeeper."
+
+"Thank you kindly," the man returned, "I am very grateful to you, and
+we shall be delighted to go with you, though we do not wish to trouble
+you too much.  The trout you have make my mouth water.  You evidently
+went in head-first after them," and he smiled as he observed the young
+man's wet clothes.
+
+Jasper liked this man, and this impression was increased as they walked
+toward the cabin.  He was well spoken, and so gentlemanly in manner
+that he found it quite easy to converse with him.  Everything seemed to
+interest and please him, especially the cabin.  He called Jasper a
+lucky fellow for having such a place where he could live so quietly
+away from all bustle and stress of the great outside world.
+
+"It is quiet enough as a rule," Jasper remarked with a laugh, as he
+lighted the fire in his little stove after he had changed his wet
+clothes for dry ones.
+
+"Have you lived here long?" the stranger inquired, as he stretched
+himself out upon the cot.
+
+"Since the middle of May," was the reply.  "But I expect to leave
+shortly.  I'm out of a job now, and so must look elsewhere."
+
+"What have you been working at?"
+
+"Oh, anything that turns up."
+
+The stranger was quick to note the almost hopeless tone in Jasper's
+voice as he uttered these words, and he studied the young man more
+closely.
+
+"Where did you live before you came here?" he asked.
+
+"At college.  I was almost through when reverses came, and so I had to
+get out.  I have been trying to earn enough to finish my course, but
+everything seems to be against me.  I understand farming and naturally
+took to the land in preference to other work."
+
+"What were you studying at college?" the man asked.
+
+"Electrical engineering."
+
+"I see.  But was there not something you could have obtained along that
+line?  Surely there must have been some opening."
+
+Jasper made no reply.  There was a reason, but he did not feel inclined
+to reveal his secret to a complete stranger, upon such a brief
+acquaintance.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+THE SHADOW OF MYSTERY
+
+When supper was over, the stranger lighted a cigar and stretched
+himself out upon the cot.
+
+"This is certainly comfort," he remarked, as he watched Jasper clear
+away the dishes.  "It is fortunate that we have found such hospitality.
+You do not have many such visitors, I suppose.  It must be rather
+lonely for you here."
+
+"Not as a rule, though I have been much favoured lately," Jasper
+replied with a laugh, and he told how his cabin had been taken
+possession of the previous night.
+
+"Well, that was cool, I should say," and the stranger smiled.  "Walked
+right in, did they?"
+
+"But I didn't mind, for they were such a queer couple; a feeble old
+man, and a bright, smart girl of about sixteen.  It was nice for me to
+have them here on such a stormy night.  I would have been very lonely,
+otherwise."
+
+"Where are they now?"
+
+"They left this morning.  It is a sad story.  But as they are strangers
+to you, it would hardly interest you."
+
+"Indeed it would," was the emphatic reply.  "I am somewhat new to this
+country, and would like to find out all I can about the life of the
+people, especially in the country districts."
+
+When Jasper had finished washing the dishes, he sat down upon a chair
+by the side of the cot, and lighted the cigar his visitor had given
+him.  He then related the story of old David and Betty, taking care to
+say as little as possible about his own part in the affair.
+
+"And so the old man is at the girl's home now, is he?" the stranger
+asked.
+
+"Yes, for a time."
+
+"But what will become of him?"
+
+"I do not know for certain.  I shall try to assist him all I can.  But
+he will not go back to Jim Goban's if I can help it.  It is the height
+of cruelty for such a refined man to live at a place like that.  I do
+not know what the people of this parish were thinking about to allow
+him to be put there."
+
+"Has he any relatives?"
+
+"It seems not.  He has been a puzzle to every one since the day he came
+here.  He has been the laughing-stock of all the people because of a
+peculiar notion of his."
+
+"And what is that?"
+
+"He is in love with Break Neck Falls over there, and talks to it as if
+it were a human being.  He believes that the time will come when people
+will obtain power and light from the falls, and the entire country will
+be greatly benefited."
+
+"So that is why he is called crazy, eh?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"Is there really a good reason for his idea?  Is there a large
+waterfall?"
+
+"Yes.  I have been there several times, and consider it a good place
+for a plant.  The old man has curious drawings of his entire plans,
+which I shall show you as he left them with me this morning.  He must
+have forgotten them in his excitement, as I understand he guards them
+very carefully.  People laugh at Crazy David for the jealous way he
+protects his treasure."
+
+"Did you say his name is David?" the stranger asked.
+
+"Yes.  David Findley, so I believe.  But he is only known as 'Crazy
+David' in this parish."
+
+As Jasper uttered these words, the man lying on the cot rose suddenly
+to a sitting position, and looked keenly into the face of the young man
+before him as if he would read his innermost thoughts.  With an
+apparent effort he checked himself, and with a slight laugh resumed his
+former position.
+
+"I got worked up over the hard luck of that old man," he remarked.  "It
+is a downright shame that he should be called crazy, and misunderstood.
+But, then, that has always been the way.  Men who have done most for
+their fellow men have been looked upon with suspicion, and termed fools
+or madmen.  May I see his drawings?"
+
+For some time the stranger studied the rude lines old David had made
+upon the paper.  Not the slightest mark escaped his notice, and he
+plied Jasper with numerous questions most of which the latter was
+unable to answer.
+
+"I am fond of studying human nature," the visitor at length
+volunteered, as if to explain his remarkable interest in the old man,
+"and I must say that this is one of the most interesting cases I have
+ever come across.  Here we have an old, poverty-stricken man, somewhat
+weak-minded, who has the vision and the enthusiasm of youth, combined
+with a child's simplicity.  And he really believes that people of
+capital will carry out his ideas, does he?"
+
+"Yes, he is sure of it."
+
+"And he has no doubts as to the final outcome?"
+
+"No."
+
+"This scheme gives him considerable pleasure, I suppose."
+
+"Yes, it is his very life.  It cheers him and buoys him up, and makes
+him treat all discomforts as of the present, which will vanish when
+once he comes into his own."
+
+"So he expects to get very rich, does he?"
+
+"Oh, yes.  He talks about what he will do when he has money.  It
+certainly would be a great pity to take such a hope from him.  I
+believe it would kill him at once."
+
+For a long time they talked, and it was late when they went to bed, the
+stranger with the chauffeur in the adjoining room, and Jasper upon the
+cot.  The latter found it hard to get to sleep, as many thoughts kept
+surging through his mind.  He wondered why his visitor should take such
+a keen interest in the welfare of old David.  He recalled, too, his
+sudden start when David's name was mentioned, and the excuse which had
+been given did not altogether satisfy him.
+
+Jasper was awake early next morning, and had the frugal breakfast ready
+by the time his two visitors came from their room.  As soon as
+breakfast was over, the chauffeur left to look after the car.  The
+stranger then pushed back his chair, lighted a cigar, and handed one to
+Jasper.
+
+"Please do not trouble about the dishes now," he began in a tone which
+somewhat surprised the young man.
+
+"I have been thinking over what you told me last night, and am greatly
+impressed by the sad condition of that old man.  You have no work in
+view, so I understand?"
+
+"You are right," Jasper replied.
+
+"Well, then," the other continued, "I wish to make a definite
+proposition to you on several conditions.  I wish to employ you for one
+month, and will give you one hundred and fifty dollars, if that will be
+satisfactory."
+
+It was Jasper's turn now to start, and look with astonishment at the
+man before him.  Was he in earnest? he asked himself, or was he merely
+joking?
+
+"Ah, I see you are astonished," and the stranger smiled, "but I assure
+you that I mean what I say, and to prove it, I shall pay you in
+advance."
+
+"But what are the conditions?" Jasper stammered.
+
+"They are three," the stranger replied after a slight pause.  "First,
+that you are to take special care of that old man.  How you are to do
+it I shall explain later.  In the next place you are to ask no
+questions as to why I am doing this.  And last of all, you are not to
+say who is doing this, neither to the old man nor, in fact, to any one."
+
+For a few seconds Jasper looked at the stranger in a quizzical manner.
+He was wondering whether the man was really in his right mind.
+
+"Isn't that a strange proposition to put to one you know so little
+about?" he asked.
+
+"In most cases it might be," was the quiet reply.  "But I have good
+reasons for what I am doing, and do not think that there will be any
+mistake.  Are you willing to enter my employment for a month?"
+
+"Now, that all depends.  I need the money, God knows, but I must
+understand more about what is expected of me in connection with the
+care of the old man."
+
+"I can easily settle that.  You are first of all to get a good place
+for him to live, and, if possible, secure some dependable person to be
+his companion who will take a special interest in his welfare.  You are
+to keep a detailed account of all expenses, and send the bill to me at
+the end of the month.  This address will find me," and he drew forth a
+card and handed it to the young man.
+
+There was nothing on the card to reveal to Jasper the identity of the
+man who was taking such a remarkable interest in old David.  It simply
+told that the stranger's name was Robert Westcote, of 22 Princess
+Street, Woldun.
+
+"I think everything is satisfactory now," and Jasper lifted his eyes to
+the stranger's face.  "I am not likely to ask any questions, and as to
+telling people who you are, there will be no trouble about that.  In
+fact, I am not intimate enough with any one here to wish to tell, even
+if I desired to do so."
+
+"That is good," Mr. Westcote replied.  "I could not have chosen a
+better person for my purpose."
+
+"When do you want me to begin my work?" Jasper asked,
+
+"At once, that is, if you can see your way to do so.  But first of all,
+I should like to visit this old man.  I am somewhat curious about him
+now that he is under my protection.  How far is he from here?"
+
+"About five miles, I should judge, though I have never been there
+myself.  He is at Mrs. Bean's, and she lives on a back road."
+
+"Very well, then, we shall go just as soon as the car is ready, and I
+should like for you to go with me."
+
+It took the chauffeur some time to find out what was the matter with
+the car, and when the damage was repaired, the three started down the
+road at a fast rate.  This was something new to Jasper, and he leaned
+back in the comfortable seat and gave himself up to the enjoyment of
+the moment.  He need not worry any more for the present about his
+living, as he had a cheque for one hundred and fifty dollars safely
+stowed away in his pocket.  As to the mystery connected with it all, he
+did not feel inclined to bother his head.  In fact, he was becoming
+greatly interested, and was now quite anxious to see what the final
+outcome would be, and why this stranger had taken such an unusual
+interest in an old pauper.
+
+It did not take them long to reach Mrs. Bean's house, where they drew
+up before the gate.  It was a small, humble abode, but everything about
+the place was scrupulously neat and clean.  Flowers bloomed in front of
+the house, while several large trees stood a short distance away.
+Under one of these they saw old David sitting in a rocking-chair with
+Betty by his side.  She had been reading to him but had laid down her
+book to look at the car, which was an unusual thing in that settlement.
+Seeing Jasper, she sprang quickly to her feet with a cry of delight,
+and hurried toward the road.  Her face was aglow with excitement, and
+Mr. Westcote thought that he had never beheld a more perfect picture of
+radiant health and beauty.
+
+"This is the young woman I was speaking to you about," Jasper remarked,
+as he stepped from the car.
+
+"I am delighted to meet you," and Mr. Westcote held out his hand.  "I
+have heard about you, and have been quite anxious to see you.  How are
+you making out with your new charge?"
+
+"Great," and a smile wreathed the girl's face.  "He is so happy here,
+and likes for me to read to him.  But he is so funny at times, and
+interrupts me to ask questions."
+
+"What about?" Mr. Westcote enquired.
+
+"Oh, about Break Neck Falls.  He wants to know if I can hear the water
+speaking, and, of course, I always do," she added with a slight laugh.
+"He wanted me to go there this morning, but as mother and the boys are
+away I could not leave, so I am trying to satisfy him by reading."
+
+"Would your mother be willing to keep him for a time, do you think?"
+Jasper asked, "that is, if she were paid enough?"
+
+"I'm afraid not," and the girl's eyes roamed in a thoughtful manner
+toward where David was sitting.  "You see, our house is too small, and
+there is hardly room enough as it is.  And besides, we are too far away
+from the Falls.  Mr. David needs to be quite near so that he can visit
+the place whenever he takes the notion, which is quite often.  That is
+the only thing which will make him happy."
+
+"Quite right," Mr. Westcote assented.  "He should live as near as
+possible.  But may we see your charge?" he asked.
+
+"Certainly," and Betty at once led the way across the field to the big
+shady tree.
+
+Old David, seeing them coming, rose to meet them.  He stood very erect
+and dignified as Jasper took his hand, and then introduced Mr.
+Westcote.  He was visibly embarrassed that he did not have chairs for
+all, and offered his own to the stranger.
+
+"Please keep your seat," Mr. Westcote told him.  "I prefer to sit on
+the ground.  What a delightful place you have here, sir," and he looked
+around upon the scenery.
+
+"It is very beautiful," David assented, "and I can hear the Falls so
+plainly, especially at night."
+
+An amused twinkle shone in Betty's eyes as she turned them upon
+Jasper's face.  She knew very well that it was impossible to hear the
+sound of the falling waters, and that it was purely imagination on his
+part.
+
+The stranger, however, did not smile.  In fact, there was an expression
+of sadness upon his face as he watched David.  He said very little,
+being content to let the others do the talking.  But he observed the
+old man very carefully without apparently doing so.  What his thoughts
+were he kept to himself, and when he arose to go, he took David's hand
+in almost a reverent manner, and looked searchingly into his eyes as if
+trying to find something there which he missed.  He hardly spoke a word
+on the way back but seemed lost in deep thought.  As Jasper alighted
+from the car in front of his cabin, Mr. Westcote laid his right hand
+upon his shoulder.
+
+"Take good care of that old man," he said.  "Let nothing interfere with
+your watchfulness until you hear from me again.  Get the best place you
+can for him, no matter what it costs."
+
+That was all, but the expression upon the stranger's face, and the
+impressive manner in which he uttered these words gave Jasper cause for
+deep thought during the remainder of the morning.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+UNITED FORCES
+
+Jasper was now in a position to give up his entire time to old David's
+interests.  No longer need he worry about working on the farm, nor how
+he was to obtain his daily food.  He was provided for a month at least,
+and he was most anxious now to enter upon the odd task which had been
+assigned to him.  Robert Westcote, the stranger, interested him
+greatly, and he felt sure that he should hear more about him later.
+
+Having eaten his simple lunch, he started down the road.  The village
+of Creekdale was about two miles away, and there he hoped to find a
+house suitable for David.  The only man he knew in the place was the
+storekeeper, and from him he believed that he could secure some
+information, and at the same time get his cheque cashed.
+
+It was a beautiful afternoon, and his heart was lighter than it had
+been for many a day.  He walked along with the swing of a man who has a
+definite purpose in life, and from whose heart all gloomy thoughts have
+been banished.  He did not try to account for this mood.  It was
+sufficient for him that in some way a load had been for a time lifted
+from his mind.  He would let the future look out for itself, and enjoy
+the present as far as it was possible for him to do so.
+
+Reaching a clump of trees, he sat down by the side of the road to rest.
+The shade was refreshing, for he was quite warm as he had been walking
+fast.  Birds sang in the branches above him, and fanned the air with
+their light wings.  Butterflies zigzagged past, and honey-laden bees
+sped by like express trains.  He watched them with much interest, and
+mused upon their activity.  Each had a special work to do, and was
+performing it to the best of its ability.  He was glad now that he was
+alive, and had something definite in view.  It was far better than
+groping around in a haphazard way looking for work.  Something seemed
+to tell him that he was entering upon the trail of a mystery and he was
+eager to follow the scent wherever it might lead.  The spirit of
+adventure was in his blood, mingled with the nectar of romance.  It had
+always been there, inherited from his ancestors.  It was that same
+spirit which had caused him to leave the farm and enter college several
+years before.  It had always been with him, and was stronger now than
+ever.  He would follow the quest to the end, and see what the outcome
+would be.
+
+Jasper was about to rise and proceed on his way when, glancing along
+the road, he saw Lois coming toward him.  His heart beat fast when he
+saw her, and his first impulse was to get away out of sight.  Why
+should he meet her? he asked himself.  She had no use for him, and
+would not consider it worth while to talk to one of whom her brother
+and Sammie Dingle were always making fun.
+
+As he hesitated, Lois drew nearer.  She was walking very slowly as if
+in deep thought.  She wore a simple white dress, and a light,
+broad-rimmed hat which partly shaded her face.  To Jasper she seemed
+the very embodiment of grace and beauty as she moved toward him.  In
+her all the charm of the glorious day, of bird and flower seemed to be
+combined.  He was lifted out of himself, entranced, and by the time she
+was opposite the clump of trees he was standing by the side of the
+road, with hat in his hand, confused and abashed.
+
+His sudden appearance startled Lois for an instant.
+
+But when she saw who it was, she smiled, and held out her hand.
+
+"I didn't notice you," she began, "as I was lost in thought.  But I
+have wanted to see you to thank you for what you did for me yesterday.
+I shudder to think of what would have been the result if you had not
+been there.  I hope you were not offended at Sammie's words."
+
+"And you feel none the worse for your fall and wetting?" Jasper
+evasively replied.
+
+"Oh, no, I am all right now.  It takes more than that to knock me out.
+I was going over this morning to thank you, but----"
+
+She paused, and looked thoughtfully across the fields.
+
+"I know," Jasper hastened to explain.  "You didn't like to come to my
+shack.  It is only natural.  It would have given people something to
+talk about."
+
+Lois looked at him for an instant and a sudden fire of resentment shone
+in her eyes, while her face flushed.
+
+"Do you consider me such a weak person as that?" she demanded.  "Do you
+imagine that I care what people might say?  I never let the frills and
+shams of life interfere with me when I am in the way of duty."
+
+"Forgive me," Jasper apologised, "if I have offended you.  I spoke
+without due thought.  But one hardly knows how to take people these
+days, and I am sorry that I judged you wrongly.  I am so glad that you
+are not like others."
+
+"We will forget all about it," Lois replied, with a smile.  "Yes, I was
+going to see you this morning to thank you, no matter what people might
+say, but I was sent for by Mrs. Peterson who lives just back there, and
+I have been with her ever since.  She is in great trouble, as her
+husband is an invalid, and she has no way of making a living.  She is
+thinking of taking in summer boarders, and she wanted to talk to me
+about it."
+
+"And what did you advise?" Jasper questioned.
+
+"Nothing," was the emphatic reply.  "It is a difficult problem, and I
+do not know what can be done.  In the first place, the house is too
+small for more than two or three boarders, and she could not expect to
+have them for more than a few weeks at the most in the summer time.  If
+she could have them all the year around it would be different.  And
+besides, it would be very hard for Mrs. Peterson to look after them.
+It takes most of her time caring for her husband, who is quite weak,
+and not always very considerate, I am afraid."
+
+As Lois was thus talking, Jasper was doing some serious thinking.  He
+was greatly interested in what she told him, not so much about the
+Petersons as others he had in mind.  He believed that here was the very
+place for old David.
+
+"Do you mind going back with me to see Mrs. Peterson?" he asked.
+
+"Why, no," Lois replied, turning her eyes to his, as if trying to
+comprehend why he should wish to meet Mrs. Peterson.  "It will be
+better than standing here in the heat."
+
+As they walked slowly along the road Jasper told her about David, how
+he and the girl had taken refuge in his cabin, where the old man was at
+present, and that he was looking for a suitable place where he could
+live.  He said as little as possible about his own share in the matter,
+excepting that he had rescued David from Jim Goban and was going to see
+that he was well cared for.  He did not say anything about Robert
+Westcote, remembering his obligation of silence.
+
+Lois was much interested in what he told her, and her mind was very
+busy as she walked along by his side wondering where he was to get the
+money to carry out his plan.
+
+"It will cost considerable," she remarked when he was through.  "Do you
+think you can manage it?"
+
+"I am quite certain that there will be no trouble," he replied.  "Just
+why I am doing this I cannot explain now, but I assure you there will
+be no difficulty.  David is to be well provided for, as far as money is
+concerned, and he is to have some one to look after him all the time."
+
+"What, at Mrs. Peterson's, if she will take him?" Lois asked in
+surprise.
+
+"Yes, that is my idea.  If that girl Betty will come, she will be just
+the person."
+
+They had paused now and were standing at the entrance of the lane
+leading up to the Peterson's house.  It was a most beautiful spot, with
+tall trees lining both sides of the drive-way.  They were on a gentle
+elevation with the village of Creekdale on their left but a few rods
+away.  It was an interesting collection of snug country-homes of
+farmers, river boatmen, and several retired sea captains.  All the
+people in Creekdale knew one another's business, and the women could
+see what their neighbours were doing, and some could easily talk from
+door to door about the events of the day.
+
+It was only natural that Mrs. Raymond should leave her washing-tub long
+enough to watch Lois and Jasper as they stood for a few moments by the
+side of the road.  She wondered what they were doing there, and her
+curiosity was so much aroused when they at length walked up the
+drive-way to the Peterson's house that she slipped over next door to
+discuss it with Mrs. Markham.
+
+The people of Creekdale often talked about the Petersons, calling them
+stuck-up because they mingled but little in the social life of the
+place.  "I have lived next door to them for nigh on to ten years," Mrs.
+Raymond once confided to a neighbour, "and only once have they been in
+my house.  I guess Captain Peterson must have some money laid by, for
+he does nothing but work in his garden and look after his hens, cow and
+pig."
+
+When, however, the Captain was stricken with partial paralysis and was
+unable to work, the belief became general that he certainly did have
+considerable money laid away.
+
+The Petersons' house was as neat and cosy as hands could make it.  A
+spacious verandah swept the front and south end of the building.  Over
+this clambered a luxuriant growth of grape vines.  Here Captain
+Peterson was lying in a large invalid's chair, puffing away at a
+short-stemmed corn-cob pipe.  He was surprised to see Lois back so
+soon, and he looked with curiosity upon Jasper, wondering where he had
+come from.
+
+"Couldn't leave us, eh?" he questioned, as he gazed with admiration
+upon the bright, animated face before him.
+
+"No, I had to come back," Lois laughingly replied.  "Your company is so
+attractive that I could not resist the temptation of bringing another
+to enjoy it.  This is Mr. Jasper Randall, Captain Peterson.  He has
+come to see you on special business."
+
+"Glad to see you, sir," and the captain reached out his hand.  "Have a
+chair; there's one right there.  Do ye smoke?"
+
+"Oh, yes," and Jasper thrust his hand at once into his pocket.  "Do you
+mind?" he asked, turning toward Lois.
+
+"Not at all," was the reply.  "But you two smoke to your hearts'
+content while I have a chat with Mrs. Peterson.  I suppose she's in the
+house, Captain?"
+
+"Yes, in the kitchen.  At least, I heard her there a short time ago."
+
+Lois was absent for about twenty minutes and when she returned the two
+men were talking in the most friendly manner.
+
+"This is the first good chat I've had with a man for a long time," the
+captain told her.  "He has made me feel better already."
+
+"I hope he hasn't forgotten the object of his visit in listening to
+your sea yarns," Lois laughingly replied.
+
+"Tut, tut, girl," and the captain blew a great cloud of smoke into the
+air.  "D'ye think that is all I talk about?  We had something just as
+interesting to discuss to-day, and so I forgot all about the yarns."
+
+"And so you are willing to take old David and Betty into your house,
+are you?"
+
+"Sure.  I'm satisfied if Julia is.  She's in charge of the ship now
+since I've lost my sea-legs."
+
+"Mrs. Peterson is delighted at the thought of having them," Lois
+replied.  "Here she comes now, and can speak for herself."
+
+Mrs. Peterson was a pleasant-faced little woman who appealed to Jasper
+at once.  He felt quite sure that she was just the person to look after
+David.  She appeared so motherly and sympathetic that it was easy for
+him to talk to her as she showed him the rooms David and Betty could
+have.
+
+"Why, you will give them half of the house," Jasper exclaimed.
+
+"Only three rooms." was the reply.  "The old man can sleep downstairs,
+and he can have this big room adjoining.  The girl can have a
+comfortable room right at the head of the stairs."
+
+Jasper and Lois were both greatly pleased, and as they walked away from
+the house they discussed it like two animated children.
+
+"How delighted David will be with the place," Lois remarked.  "He will
+be so comfortable there, I feel sure, and Mrs. Peterson will take such
+good care of him."
+
+"And he will be able to hear the falls so plainly," Jasper replied.
+"He can sit on the verandah or at the window of his room and listen to
+the waters as long as he likes.  It is just the place for him."
+
+"How much does Mrs. Peterson want a week for their board?" Lois
+enquired.
+
+"I never asked her," was the quiet reply.  "I shall find that out
+later, for it is a matter of minor importance."
+
+Lois glanced up quickly into her companion's face.  She longed to know
+where the money was to come from.  Surely this man who was working
+digging potatoes did not intend to pay the entire amount.  But Jasper
+volunteered not the slightest information.  He continued to talk about
+David, and his surprise when he learned of what was being done for him.
+
+"I am so grateful for your assistance this afternoon," Jasper told Lois
+as they at last paused at the gate leading to the Sinclair house.  "I
+started forth uncertain what to do, and behold, everything has turned
+out as if by magic."
+
+"I am thankful that I have been of some assistance," was the quiet
+reply.  "My mind is greatly relieved, too, for I was much worried about
+the Petersons.  Two heads are better than one after all, are they not?"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+WHEN DREAMS COME TRUE
+
+"Isn't this lovely!" Betty exclaimed, as she stood in the middle of the
+large room which had been assigned to David.
+
+It was the second day since their arrival at the Petersons' house, and
+their delight at everything was not only amusing to Mrs. Peterson but
+somewhat pathetic as well.  She could not account for the girl's
+remarkable care of the old man.  She would allow nothing to interfere
+with her attention upon him, and she arranged a cosy spot by the big
+north window where he could sit and listen to the sound of his beloved
+falls.
+
+"You will spoil him," Mrs. Peterson told her once when they were alone
+in the kitchen.  "You will make him as helpless as a child.  It is not
+good for men to be waited upon too much."
+
+"Are you not afraid of spoiling your husband, then, Mrs. Peterson?"
+Betty replied.  "You treat him just like a child."
+
+"Oh, but he is an invalid, and can't help himself.  That is the reason
+why I have to wait upon him."
+
+"But Mr. David is a wonder," Betty insisted, "and he must not be
+neglected."
+
+There was such an expression of admiration in the girl's eyes that Mrs.
+Peterson had not the heart to smile at her enthusiasm.
+
+"In what way is he a wonder?" was all she asked, as she went on with
+her work.
+
+"Oh, he has a great thing in his head, which he is thinking about all
+the time.  It has to do with the falls, and he has told me a whole lot
+about it.  He will be very rich some day, and we are going to have such
+a nice house of our own.  You see, I am to be his housekeeper, and
+nurse him when he is sick."
+
+It was a great pleasure for Captain Peterson to have David and Betty at
+the house.  No longer did he have to sit alone for hours upon the
+verandah as he had an audience now to listen to his tales of the sea
+and the places he had visited.  David was a good listener and enjoyed
+hearing the yarns, although he kept one ear open for the sound of the
+falls.  Nothing must interfere with his interest up there.
+
+One afternoon the captain was speaking about England, and mentioned
+Liverpool.  David became unusually interested, and even let his pipe go
+out as he sat with his eyes fixed intently upon the captain's face.
+
+"You seem to know Liverpool pretty well," he at length remarked, as the
+captain paused to re-light his pipe.
+
+"Should say so," was the reply.  "Guess I know about everything there
+worth knowing, especially along shipping lines."
+
+"There must be some big firms there, eh?"
+
+"Big!  I should say so.  Why, I could name a dozen right offhand, which
+have ships sailing around the world.  Now, there's the Dockett concern,
+for instance.  Holy smokes! but they're wealthy.  If I told you the
+business they do you wouldn't believe me."
+
+"No?"  David laid his pipe upon the verandah railing.  He had to do it
+because his hand was trembling so violently that he could hold it no
+longer.
+
+"Indeed you wouldn't," the captain continued, not noticing his
+companion's agitation.  "And you should see old Dockett himself, who
+owns it all, so I understand."
+
+"What about him?" David asked in a voice scarcely above a whisper.  For
+once he had forgotten his beloved falls.
+
+"Ho, ho, I wish you could see him," and the captain leaned back and
+laughed as he had not laughed for months.  "He certainly is a queer
+one."
+
+"In what way?" David questioned.
+
+"Well, it is hard to explain.  He looks like a bear, and he acts like
+one, too.  My, I've heard him get his tongue on men lots of times, and
+he is a holy terror.  But he's a great business man, so I believe, and
+has made heaps of money."
+
+"What does he do with it?" David asked.
+
+"Piles it up, I guess.  He hasn't a chick to leave it to, so I
+understand."
+
+"Hasn't he a wife?"
+
+"No, not when I last heard of him, which was five years ago.  It isn't
+likely he's married since then."
+
+David was unusually quiet the rest of the day.  There was a far-away
+look in his eyes and nothing interested him, not even the voice of his
+falls.  Betty was quite anxious, and confided her trouble to Mrs.
+Peterson.
+
+"Do you think he is going to be sick?" she asked.  "Suppose he should
+die, what will become of that great thing he has in his head?"
+
+"Oh, I guess he is all right," Mrs. Peterson soothed.  "Perhaps he is
+thinking out something else, and will surprise us with some new idea."
+
+"Oh, do you think so?" and the girl's eyes grew big with wonder.
+"Won't it be great if he does!"
+
+David was much brighter the next morning and sat for some time out upon
+the verandah.  Betty had gone to the office for the mail, as Mrs.
+Peterson was too busy about the house.  She did this nearly every day
+now, and enjoyed the walk.  The captain was always anxious to get his
+daily paper, and sometimes there would be a letter from an old friend.
+
+It was almost noon when Betty arrived.  Her cheeks were flushed more
+than usual and she was greatly excited.
+
+"What's up now?" the captain enquired.  "Haven't been scared, have ye?"
+
+"It's a letter for Mr. David!" she replied.  "Just think of that!"
+
+"H'm," and the captain gave a grunt of disgust.  "Is that all.  I
+thought maybe ye'd seen a ghost.  Why should a letter so upset you?"
+
+"Oh, but he never got a letter before since I've known him, and it must
+be very important."
+
+While the two were talking David rose from his chair and stepped toward
+Betty.
+
+"A letter for me?" he asked, in a somewhat doubtful voice.
+
+"Yes, here it is.  You had better open it at once."
+
+The old man took it in his hand and stood studying it for a few
+seconds.  Then he slowly opened the envelope, and drew forth the
+letter.  As he scanned the contents, his eyes grew suddenly wide with
+astonishment and his hands trembled violently.
+
+"Oh, Mr. David, what's the matter?" Betty cried as she observed his
+intense excitement.  "Is it some bad news?"
+
+But the old man did not seem to notice her.  He stood there, shaking in
+every limb, staring upon the letter.
+
+"Tell me what it is," the girl again demanded.  "I want to know at
+once."
+
+This imperious order brought David to his senses, and without a word he
+handed her the letter.  Eagerly seizing it, she began to read.  It took
+her longer than the old man to make out its meaning, and when the truth
+at last dawned upon her mind she gave a glad cry of joy, and her eyes
+beamed with delight as she turned them upon his face.
+
+"Oh, isn't it great!" she exclaimed.  "Five thousand dollars for that
+thing in your head, Mr. David.  Won't you be rich.  Now we can have a
+house of our very own, and I can be your housekeeper!"
+
+"But that isn't all, Betty," David replied.  "I am to be Honorary
+President of the company, just think of that.  And they are to carry
+out my plans and do just what I wish.  Girl, my dreams are to come true
+at last.  I shall live to see my beautiful falls bringing a blessing to
+the entire country.  I wonder if people will laugh at me now, and call
+me crazy."
+
+It was only natural that intense excitement should reign at the Haven
+for the next few hours.  The captain and his wife were greatly
+impressed by the good fortune which had come so suddenly to old David.
+They could hardly believe it possible, and they had the feeling that
+there had been some mistake.  But Betty would not hear of such a thing.
+She was sure that it was all true, and it was due to the wonderful
+thing that David had in his head.
+
+Dinner was late that day, and they had just finished when Jasper
+arrived.  Then out upon the verandah he heard the remarkable story.  It
+was Betty who told it, while David and the captain sat smoking near by.
+He was shown the letter as well, the cause of all the excitement.
+Jasper read it over several times, and then stepping over to David he
+grasped his hand.
+
+"Allow me to congratulate you, sir," he began.  "Such good luck does
+not come to many in this country.  I am so thankful that your plans are
+to be carried out after all."
+
+"And they are to consult me, and carry out my every wish," David
+replied.  "It is so stated there," and he pointed to the letter.
+
+The enthusiasm of the old man was so intense and childlike that Jasper
+had not the heart to say one word that would in any way dampen his joy.
+To him, however, the whole thing was a great puzzle.  Was it a joke, he
+wondered, which some people were playing upon this simple-minded man?
+A company was mentioned, but its name was not given.  And further, why
+should any company be willing to pay five thousand dollars for David's
+idea, which was not new?  It had been successfully carried out in other
+localities.  Surely a concern which was able to make such a liberal
+offer must have full and accurate knowledge about hydro-electric plants
+and what they had accomplished in the past.  And why should David be
+made Honorary President of the company?  Was Robert Westcote, the
+stranger, the cause of it all?  He had not heard from him since the day
+of their visit to Mrs. Bean's, and but for the cheque which he had
+received he would have been inclined to consider the whole thing as a
+hoax.
+
+Jasper kept his thoughts, however, to himself, and sat for some time on
+the verandah taking but little part in the conversation.  Betty and the
+captain did most of the talking, while David sat near with a happy
+expression upon his face.
+
+"When are you thinking of starting housekeeping on your own account?"
+the captain enquired.  "You'll be so mighty important now that you
+won't want to stay with us any longer."
+
+"Don't you worry, Captain," Betty laughingly replied.  "We're not going
+to leave you just yet.  You see, we haven't any house to go to, and it
+will take the rest of the summer to make arrangements."
+
+When Jasper left the Haven he walked slowly down the road toward the
+post office thinking over carefully all that he had just heard.  Every
+day he had been expecting news from Mr. Westcote, giving information as
+to what was expected of him.  Hitherto he had been disappointed.  But
+to-day he was rewarded when the postmaster, in addition to his daily
+paper, handed him out a letter.  Jasper felt that this was the one he
+had been looking for, and he hurried out of the building and carted
+homeward.  Reaching a shady tree by the side of the road, he sat down
+upon the ground and tore open the letter.  A week of thought and
+inactivity had made him anxious to know something more of what was
+expected of him, and he was quite certain that now the veil was to be
+lifted and the mystery partly solved.
+
+The letter was from Robert Westcote, and although it was somewhat brief
+it brought him considerable satisfaction.  His eyes kindled with
+animation and his pulse quickened as he considered the message he had
+just received and meditated upon the possibilities of the future.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+CURIOSITY AND ANXIETY
+
+Never in the memory of the oldest inhabitant had Creekdale been so
+greatly excited.  How the news first arrived no one could tell.  But
+everybody seemed to have heard the rumor at once, and immediately there
+was much running to and fro among the villagers.  The store was the
+principal place where the men gathered to discuss the report and to
+find out what was the latest bit of information.  Men would find some
+excuse for leaving their work in the fields in order to drop into the
+store during the afternoon lest some choice morsel of news should be
+missed.  Every evening they would gather there such as they had never
+done before in the summer months.  It was always in the winter that
+they made the store their headquarters when work was not so pressing.
+
+It was Andy Forbes, the storekeeper, who made it a point of keeping
+abreast of the times.  What he didn't know of the events of the parish
+was not considered of any importance.  He had a way of appearing to
+know more than he really did.  But concerning this affair at the falls
+he was completely blocked.
+
+"The whole thing stumps me," he acknowledged one night, after an
+animated discussion had taken place as to the purpose of it all.  "I
+can understand about the engineers making the surveys to find out how
+much power can be obtained from the falls.  That Light and Power
+Company in the city has been playing the hog too long, and robbing the
+people.  It is something fierce what they charge.  It is only natural
+that an opposition company should be formed to force down the prices.
+But the question is, Who is back of this new movement?  and what has
+Crazy David to do with it?"
+
+"And so you really think he knows something about at?" Ben Logan
+enquired.
+
+"Sure.  I could tell you a number of things but my position as
+postmaster compels me to be silent."  This was merely another of Andy's
+methods, and it always impressed his hearers in a marked degree.
+
+"But what about that chap who was working for old Squabbles?" Billy
+Dexter asked.  "He seems to be mixed up somehow with the affair.  He
+spends most of his time now at the falls with the engineers.  I
+understand that he was the one who got the Petersons to take in Crazy
+David and that girl, Betty Bean."
+
+"Oh, he's a queer one," Sandy Morton replied.  "I met him the other day
+on the road and asked him what was going on up at the falls and who
+were the men back of the work?  My, you should have seen the look he
+gave me.  It was 'Mind your own business,' as plain as if he had said
+it in words.  I ought to have knocked him down, for it was a dead
+insult."
+
+"Better not try anything like that, Sandy," Ben Logan laughingly gibed.
+"He'd wipe up the dust with you in no time, if I'm not much mistaken.
+Anyway, he minds his own business, and that's something in his favour."
+
+"I believe he's working for the bunch," the store-keeper volunteered.
+"I cashed a cheque of his some time ago, and----  But, there, I must
+not let out secrets."
+
+While the people of Creekdale were consumed with curiosity at what was
+taking place at the falls, Peter Sinclair was becoming filled with
+anxiety, which increased as the days passed into weeks.  Lois found it
+harder than ever to get along with him, and she always dreaded his
+home-coming every evening from the city.  Occasionally he travelled on
+the river steamer, but as a rule Dick drove him to the city in the
+morning in the car and brought him back at night.  This was to the
+young man's liking, as he found it lonely in the country where he
+missed his boon companions.  Lois was glad that this was so as she
+could have the days free to follow her own inclinations.  But she was
+always careful to have dinner ready when her father and brother
+arrived, and to make their home-coming as bright and pleasant as
+possible.
+
+Whether Mr. Sinclair appreciated this attention Lois did not know, as
+he never made any comment.  At times, he treated her as if she were
+merely a housekeeper, and not his own daughter interested in his
+welfare.  He ate and slept in the house and spent his Sundays there.
+But apart from paying the bills, which, were always light, he left
+everything else to his daughter.
+
+The night when the men of Creekdale were talking so earnestly at the
+store, Mr. Sinclair was late reaching, home.  Dinner had been waiting
+for over an hour, and Lois was reading on the verandah, for it was a
+beautiful evening, with not a ripple on the surface of the river.  She
+longed to be out there in her little boat where of late she spent so
+much of her time.
+
+To almost any one else this home-coming would have been a great
+pleasure, especially if the day in the city had been trying.  He would
+have found the cool, quiet house with such a daughter waiting to
+receive him most comforting.  But with Mr. Sinclair it was altogether
+different.  He did not seem to notice the neatly-set dining-room table,
+with its snow-white linen and the fragrant flowers so artistically
+arranged in the centre.  Neither did he pay any special attention to
+Lois, who, clad in a simple white dress, sat at the head of the table.
+
+Lois intuitively realised that there was something out of the ordinary
+worrying her father.  He was more silent than ever, and took no part in
+the conversation between his son and daughter.  Dick related to Lois
+his experience that afternoon with a party of his friends who had
+motored over to the Sea Breeze Park, and had luncheon at the Sign of
+the Maple.
+
+"It's a dandy place," Dick exclaimed, as he passed his plate for
+another helping of roast lamb.  "They certainly do serve things up in
+style, and it is no wonder that so many city people go there.  But you
+could never guess who came in while we were eating."
+
+"Any one I know?" Lois asked.
+
+"Sure; a special friend of yours," and Dick gave a knowing grin.  "He's
+been under your care for years.  I guess you know Spuds all right."
+
+Lois' face flushed at these words, but she looked calmly at her brother.
+
+"What is there remarkable about seeing Mr. Randall at such a place?"
+she enquired.  "Why shouldn't he go there as well as you or any one
+else?"
+
+"Oh, nothing in that, only I thought maybe you'd be interested."
+
+"So I am in a way, as I thought that Mr. Randall was up at the falls.
+He seldom goes to the city, so I understand, but attends strictly to
+business."
+
+"I guess he was doing that all right at the Sign of the Maple.  He
+seemed to be so busy that he forgot to eat."
+
+"Was he alone?"
+
+"Oh, no.  There was the prettiest girl I ever set eyes on.  I tell you
+Spuds is a lucky fellow to know such a beauty.  He's gone up a peg in
+my estimation since I saw him with her.  You should have seen her eyes,
+especially when she smiled at something her father was saying."
+
+"Her father, did you say?" Lois asked.  It was somewhat of a relief for
+her to know that there was a father present and that she was not alone
+with Jasper.
+
+"Well, I suppose he was her father," Dick replied, "though I am not
+positive.  He was a fine looking man, anyway.  I'd like to get
+acquainted with him, for it's worth knowing such a chap who has a
+daughter like that.  I wonder how Spuds happened to meet him.  By
+jingo! I've got it," and Dick brought his fist down upon the table with
+such a bang that the dishes rattled.  "I'll bet you anything that he
+has something to do with that Break Neck Falls affair, for old Tim
+Parkin, the big lumber merchant, was along, too.  He owns some fine
+timber tracts up this way, and no doubt there was a deal on.  That
+confounded mysterious company will need a great amount of lumber, if
+rumours are correct."
+
+As Dick uttered these words his father looked up.  His interest had
+been suddenly aroused, and for the first time he joined in the
+conversation.
+
+"Did you say that Tim Parkin was at the Sign of the Maple?" he growled.
+
+"Yes, Dad," the young man replied.  "He was looking bigger and more
+prosperous than ever.  He seemed mighty pleased over something."
+
+"Did you near what they were talking about?"
+
+"No, I couldn't make out anything as we were on the opposite side of
+the room."
+
+"But you could see the girl, though.  If your ears had been half as
+good as your eyes you would have heard what was being said."
+
+"But any one can see much farther than he can hear," Dick protested.
+"You surely don't expect the impossible from me, do you?"
+
+"I don't expect anything from you, sir," and Mr. Sinclair glared at his
+son.  "I have long since given up expecting.  All you care for is to
+have a good time riding around in the car, attending parties, and
+looking for the prettiest girls.  If you were as much interested in
+business as you are in pleasure you would be of some use to me.  But I
+guess you'll have to get a hustle on mighty goon, though, from the look
+of things.  I won't be able to indulge you in your idleness much
+longer."
+
+"Why, Dad, what do you mean?" Dick enquired.  "You're not going to
+throw me overboard, are you?"
+
+"Oh, no, I won't do it.  But there are others who will, or I'm very
+much mistaken."
+
+"Who--why?" the young man stammered.  "I don't understand you, Dad."
+
+"I mean that new Light and Power Company which has been formed.  That
+is what will do it."
+
+"Oh, is that all?" and Dick breathed a sigh of relief.  "You certainly
+did give me a jolt.  I thought you were speaking of something real.
+But that company's all a hoax, isn't it?  Tommy Flowers said it was
+nothing but a scare to force you to cut your rates.  The whole thing is
+so mysterious, so people say, that they consider it a put up job to
+force your hand.  Why, the names of the men who form the company are
+not even known."
+
+"H'm, that's all that people know about what is going on," Mr. Sinclair
+retorted.  "That company is no hoax, mark my word.  It means business
+of a most serious nature, and it is getting to work, too.  Don't you
+live in a fool's paradise, boy.  If you do, there will be a rude
+awakening, and sooner perhaps than you expect."
+
+"What, have you heard anything of late, Dad?" Dick asked.
+
+"Well, I have heard enough, and it is more than hear-say at that.  A
+strong company has been formed to utilise the water of Break Neck Falls
+for light and power to supply not only the city but the entire country.
+The scheme is a big one, almost gigantic, I should say.  And there
+seems to be plenty of money back of it, too.  It is an English concern
+which has recently opened an office in the city.
+
+"What is the purpose of such a company working here?" Dick questioned.
+"One would naturally think that a city much larger than ours would
+offer more inducements."
+
+Mr. Sinclair pushed back his chair from the table, and lighted a cigar.
+
+"That is one of the things which puzzles me," he at length replied.
+"Why a company with large capital should build a big plant at the falls
+to supply light and power in such a limited locality, is more than I
+can understand.  I cannot see how it will pay even if it gets full
+control."
+
+"Who is in charge of the city office?" Dick asked.
+
+"A man by the name of Westcote.  He is an Englishman, so I believe.  He
+seems to have full charge of everything.  He must have been the man you
+saw at the Sign of the Maple with Tim Parkin, for he has a daughter
+with him, who recently came to the city."
+
+"But what has Spuds to do with the concern, and how did he come to meet
+this man Westcote?"
+
+"He is evidently in his employ.  But where he met him I do not know.
+Perhaps Lois can tell us," and he glanced around upon his daughter.
+
+Lois suddenly started and looked keenly at her father as if she had not
+heard aright.  This was the first time that he had ever hinted at any
+interest on her part in Jasper.  A feeling of resentment welled up in
+her heart.
+
+"Why should I know?" she enquired, "and what reason have you for asking
+me such a question?"
+
+Mr. Sinclair, however, did not deign to make any explanation, but
+puffed away at his cigar.  Lois took this as a direct insult and
+started to leave the table.  She wished to get away by herself that she
+might think it all over.
+
+"And where does old Crazy David come in?" her father asked.  "What
+interest has he in that concern?"
+
+"I have not the slightest idea," Lois impatiently replied.  "Why do you
+expect me to understand such things?"
+
+"But you should know.  You see that old man every day, and are so
+interested in his welfare.  Surely he must have told you something, and
+if he did not you should have tried to find out.  Remember, you are my
+daughter, and my interest should be your first concern.  Both you and
+Dick think that you have no responsibilities in life, and that I will
+always provide for you.  If we are not careful that new company will
+put us out of business; so you two must do all you can to help me.
+Something must be done to cheek that concern and I want you to assist
+me.  As it is, I am working in the dark and do not know what to expect
+next, or who are the ones working against me.  Is it old David who is
+merely acting the part of a fool, or is it that young man who pretended
+to be a hired hand, who worked awhile for Simon Squabbles?  There is
+something queer about the whole thing, and I am nearly crazy trying to
+puzzle it all out."
+
+To these words Lois made no reply.  She quietly left the table and made
+her way out of the house and walked down to the shore.  Here she felt
+more at home, and the stillness which reigned over land and water
+soothed her, bringing a restful peace to her heart and mind.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+PYRAMID ROCK
+
+A good home, plenty of well-cooked food, and proper attention did much
+for old David.  His strength, and health improved, and although he lost
+nothing of his interest in the falls, he was quite content to listen
+more to the sound drifting down the valley instead of visiting the
+place as often as formerly.  The spot he liked best of all was the cosy
+corner on the verandah, just outside the window of his room.  Here the
+vines clambered up over the sides, forming a shelter from the burning
+sun and a refuge from the wind when the days were cool.
+
+Jasper was a frequent visitor at the Haven, and he was not slow to
+notice the change that had come over David.  Hitherto the old man had
+been content to listen to the voice of the falls and utter brief and
+almost mystic words about what the water would do.  But latterly he had
+given greater vent to his thoughts and enlarged upon the plans he had
+been revolving in his mind.
+
+It was a beautiful evening not long after Jasper had been at the Sign
+of the Maple, that he was sitting with David and Betty in the
+accustomed place.  The captain had retired, and Mrs. Peterson was busy
+in the kitchen.  Jasper told of the progress that had been made at the
+falls and how the engineers had finished their preliminary work, and
+had declared the undertaking most feasible.  The definite start of
+building would not begin until the next spring, though in the meantime
+necessary preparations would be made so that the work could be pushed
+forward then as rapidly as possible.  Logs would be needed for building
+purposes, and many large poles suitable for carrying the wires to the
+city and throughout the country.
+
+"I have been requested to undertake this work," Jasper told them, "and
+so will be busy all the fall and winter.  In a few weeks I hope to have
+a number of men and teams at work in the woods.  It will be a fine
+thing for Creekdale as it will put so much money in circulation by
+giving employment to all available men during the winter when as a rule
+little is going on, so I understand."
+
+"Oh, won't that be nice," Betty exclaimed, while her eyes danced with
+animation.  "My brother will be able to earn money right at home.
+Jimmy has been planning to go to the city next winter to earn some
+money to help pay off the mortgage on our place.  Mother doesn't want
+him to go as he is only sixteen, but he thinks he should be earning
+something."
+
+"You have some fine trees on your place, have you not?" Jasper asked in
+reply.
+
+"Oh, yes, lots of them.  You see, our farm is part of the old Dinsmore
+Manor, and no logs have been cut on it for years as they have not been
+worth much.  My father said before he died that they would bring a lot
+of money some day, and they would make us rich.  That's why mother has
+been holding on to the place and trying to pay off the mortgage.  But
+she finds it hard work.  Jimmy works for the neighbours, but Steve and
+Dora can't earn anything yet.  I am helping all I can."
+
+"Those trees are very valuable now," Jasper remarked.
+
+"Have you seen them?" Betty asked, in surprise.
+
+"Yes, I have been all over the place, and there are acres of the finest
+trees I have ever seen.  We shall need many of them, that is, if your
+mother will sell."
+
+"Won't that be great!" and the girl clapped her hands with delight.  "I
+know she will sell if she can get a fair price for them."
+
+"There should be no trouble about that, Betty.  Logs are higher than
+they have been for years, and those who own them are fortunate.  The
+company wants only the best and is willing to pay a good price, so I
+believe.  But there is something I would advise your mother to do."
+
+"What is that?"
+
+"Keep a sharp look-out upon those trees.  The city Light and Power
+Company, of which Mr. Sinclair is manager and principal owner, has land
+right next to yours.  Most of the best trees have been cut there for
+poles, and it is only natural that envious eyes should be east upon
+your mother's valuable property.  Mr. Sinclair does quite a lumbering
+business on his own account, so I understand."
+
+"Oh, do you think that Mr. Sinclair would do anything like that?" Betty
+asked in surprise.
+
+"I trust not," was the reply.  "Nevertheless, it is just as well to be
+on guard in case something does happen.  You might speak to your mother
+about it when you see her."
+
+The next day David and Betty paid a visit to the falls.  They had not
+been there for over a week, which was a most unusual thing.  It was a
+beautiful afternoon, and a complete harmony seemed to reign everywhere.
+David was in excellent spirits and he talked much about the wonderful
+improvements which were to come to the country.  He pointed out a
+number of the stakes the engineers had driven into the ground, and
+explained where the power house would be built.
+
+"A year from now," he told her, "there will be wires running to the
+city and all through the country.  The city people will have light for
+their houses and power for their machinery at cheap rates.  The farmers
+will have electric lights right in their homes and barns; they will
+have power to saw their wood, churn their butter, thresh and grind
+their grain, besides doing so many other things.  It will make a
+wonderful change in the lives of all.  Young people will not want to
+leave the farms and go to the city.  It will be a joy for them to
+remain, and so much of the drudgery will be taken away."
+
+"Won't that be splendid!" Betty replied.  "How did you ever think of
+all those things?  Why, the people didn't know you were thinking so
+much about their welfare when you were living all alone, and when they
+said you were crazy."
+
+"No, girl, they did not know," and the old man gazed thoughtfully off
+into space.  "They believed that I was a fool, and perhaps they had
+reason for so thinking.  You see, I was very poor and had no means of
+carrying out my plans.  It has always been the way, and why should I
+have expected anything different from thousands of others who have
+tried to help their fellow men?  But now things have changed, and they
+will soon learn that old David was not so crazy after all."
+
+They were seated upon the bank of the stream as they thus talked.  On a
+bough of a near-by tree a squirrel was scolding, and off in the
+distance several crows were lifting up their raucous voices.  Betty
+picked up a stone and tossed it into the water below, and then watched
+with interest as it fell with a splash.
+
+"I can throw farther than you, Mr. David," she bantered.  "I can throw
+a stone to that big rock over there."
+
+"I haven't thrown a stone in a long time, my child," was the reply.
+
+"Well, try it then," was the command.  "Here is a nice smooth one."
+
+Rising to his feet, David took the stone and with a wide sweep of his
+long arm hurled it far down the stream almost to the base of the rock.
+
+"You didn't do it," Betty shouted with delight.  "I can beat that, see
+if I can't."
+
+She half turned to pick up another stone when she suddenly paused as
+her eyes rested upon a man coming toward them.  It was Peter Sinclair,
+and as he drew near and spoke to them, it seemed to Betty that the
+atmosphere had changed, and the day was not as fine as it had been but
+a few seconds before.  She wanted to get away, for this man's presence
+seemed to weigh upon her in an ominous manner.  The reason why she
+could not explain.
+
+"Having a nice time here, eh?" Mr. Sinclair remarked, as he sat down
+upon the bank.  "That walk has puffed me.  Do you come up here often?"
+he asked, turning toward Betty.
+
+"Whenever Mr. David takes the notion," was her reply.  "I always come
+with him, and we have such a pleasant time."
+
+"And do you always stop here and spend your time in throwing stones at
+that rock?  Are you not wasting your time?"
+
+"We might be doing worse, though," Betty replied, somewhat nettled at
+the man's words.  "We might be throwing stones at you or somebody else."
+
+"At me!" and Mr. Sinclair looked surprised.
+
+"Yes, at you.  But perhaps it's safer to throw them at that rock over
+there.  It doesn't mind for it knows we're only in fun.  It's a special
+friend of mine, and that's why I like to be near it.  You would never
+believe that it saved half my father's farm several years ago."
+
+"What, that rock?"
+
+"It certainly did, and I shall never forget what it did for us."
+
+"Tell me about it," and Mr. Sinclair sat down upon the ground.  The
+mention of the Bean farm had suddenly aroused his interest, and made
+him willing to listen to this country girl's story.
+
+"It was a long time ago," Betty began, "just after my father was
+married.  He had bought a piece of land off of the Dinsmore Manor,
+about one hundred acres, I think it was.  After he had paid for the
+place there was some trouble about the line between him and the man who
+had bought another piece of the manor next to him.  They agreed to have
+the line run over again.  I don't understand all about it, but, anyway,
+when the line was run it cut my father's place almost in two, and he
+was afraid he was going to lose all that land where those fine logs are
+now.  It was a funny mistake, but it was soon settled."
+
+"What had that rock to do with it?" Mr. Sinclair enquired.
+
+"Oh," and the girl gave a slight laugh.  "I forgot that part.  You see,
+the surveyor was to start running the line from the big pyramid rock on
+this brook.  It is called that because of its shape.  Father happened
+to be away from home the day the line was run and the surveyor started
+from another rock farther down the brook, which looks something like
+that one over there.  Wasn't it funny?  So you see that is why I am so
+fond of that big rock and come here as often as I can to be near my
+good friend."
+
+As Betty finished, a peculiar expression might have been detected in
+Peter Sinclair's eyes, and for a few seconds he gazed steadily at the
+rock before him.  It seemed that the girl's story had greatly
+interested him and started him off on a new line of thought.  Just what
+it was he kept to himself and with an apparent effort turned his
+attention once more to Betty.
+
+"You will not come here as often, I suppose, when the company gets to
+work," he remarked.  "Things will be much changed along this brook, and
+perhaps your old friend, the rock, may be disturbed."
+
+"You are right, sir," David replied, speaking for the first time.
+"There will certainly be marvellous changes all over this country in a
+year or two.  You will hardly know the place then."
+
+"That is interesting.  And can you tell me who will perform these
+wonders of which you speak so confidently?"
+
+"The falls will do it," and David stretched out his right arm.  "Light
+and power will come from there to transform city and country.  Living
+will be made far more tolerable in both."
+
+"But who are the men back of all this?" Mr. Sinclair asked.  He felt
+sure now that he was on the verge of a new discovery.
+
+"I am the man," and David stood proudly erect.  "It was my plan which
+suggested the movement."
+
+"I know all that," and Mr. Sinclair rose impatiently to his feet.  "But
+where does the money come from? and, who are the men who form the
+company?  That is what I want to know."
+
+"That I cannot tell you, sir.  And why should it matter?  I am
+concerned about the improvements and not where the money comes from."
+
+"H'm, that's a queer way to do business," was the disgusted reply.
+"Well, I must be off up the brook.  I've wasted too much time already.
+Look out for your big rock, little girl, and see that no one disturbs
+it."
+
+"Oh, I guess it'll stay there all right," Betty replied with a laugh.
+"My friends never leave me."
+
+They stood and watched Mr. Sinclair until the tree hid him from view.
+
+"I don't like that man," and Betty stamped her small foot upon the
+ground.  "He makes me feel creepy all over just like I always do when I
+see a snake or a rat.  Let's go home."
+
+About an hour after they had left the place, Peter Sinclair drew near,
+and stood looking at the big rock across the brook.  Then he walked
+along the bank until he came to the smaller rock of which Betty had
+spoken.  He next turned his eyes northward and pointed with the
+forefinger of his right hand as if tracing an imaginary boundary line.
+As he did so a smile of satisfaction lighted his face, and when he left
+the brook and started homeward, his step was quicker and more elastic
+than it had been for many a day.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+THE DISTURBING LETTER
+
+It took Jasper longer than he had expected to get everything ready for
+his fall and winter lumbering operations.  He found it hard to obtain
+as many teams as he needed, and greater difficulty still to procure the
+right kind of men.  He offered good wages, but the choppers held out
+for more.  Although such matters had been left to Jasper, yet he did
+not feel inclined to pay such wages as were demanded.  At length,
+however, he succeeded in rounding together a band of men upon whom he
+felt he could depend, and he hoped in a few days to begin work upon the
+building of the cabins for the men and the stables for the horses.
+
+Jasper often mused upon the peculiar situation in which he was placed.
+Everything seemed to depend upon him.  The engineers, having made their
+surveys, had departed, leaving him in charge.  The buying of the food
+supplies devolved upon him, though the bills were sent to the city
+office for payment.  He had not seen Robert Westcote since the day he
+had luncheon with him at the Sign of the Maple.  He had merely received
+specific information as to the various kinds of logs required, their
+length and size, as well as the places where they were to be hauled
+near the falls.
+
+During these busy days Jasper had seen nothing of Lois.  He knew that
+she visited the Haven regularly, and Betty always had a great deal to
+tell him about her.  But somehow he had missed meeting her, and every
+time he left he felt disappointed, and made his way back to his lonely
+cabin which seemed to become more lonely as the days passed.  Sometimes
+he would stand on the hill and look down upon the Sinclair house,
+hoping that he might catch a glimpse of her who was so much in his
+mind.  He would scan the river, thinking he might see her out there.
+At length a great longing came upon him to see her before he should go
+into the woods.  He knew that in a few weeks at the most she would be
+leaving for the city with her father, and then all hope of meeting her
+again for months would have to be abandoned.  Somehow he could not bear
+the thought of her going.  As long as she was near he could work
+better, and her presence in the place was like an inspiration.  He felt
+that she knew what he was doing, and took an interest in his welfare.
+But in the city she would be far away, and taken up with so many
+interests she would have no time to give any thought to him.
+
+All preparations had now been made for the lumbering operations and
+work would begin on Monday morning.  Saturday found Jasper with nothing
+to do.  He spent the forenoon in packing up his belongings to take with
+him into the woods.  They were very few, and one small grip would
+contain his scanty library which he could not bear to leave behind.
+The next time he went to the city he intended to purchase a number of
+books upon which he had set his heart.  He would have the long winter
+evenings for reading in the little cabin he was to erect for his own
+special use.
+
+About the middle of the afternoon he decided to pay a visit to the
+Haven.  He wished to see David and Betty before going away, and learn
+how they were making out.  But the hope that he might see Lois was the
+real reason why he decided to go.  Several times he had thought of
+visiting her at her own home.  But as he had never been there and had
+received no invitation, he did not feel inclined to go where perhaps he
+was not wanted, and where his presence might be looked upon as an
+intrusion.  He often upbraided himself for thinking about her at all.
+What hope had he that she would ever deign to look upon him with
+favour?  What had he to offer her?  He was poor, and he had no
+guarantee that his employment with this mysterious company would be
+permanent.  In a few months he might again be seeking for work.
+
+But no matter what resolutions Jasper made he could not banish Lois
+from his mind.  It was she who several years before had unconsciously
+inspired him to launch out into the world and make something of
+himself.  The thought of her had always urged him on when most
+depressed and discouraged.  In his darkest hours of gloom he had seen
+her eyes filled with sympathy fixed upon him as on that day he had
+first met her and had fled disgraced from her father's house.
+
+Such impressions were not easy to banish in an instant, and so as he
+knocked at the door of the haven he fervently hoped that Lois might be
+there.  But as he entered David's room other interests engaged his
+attention.  Hitherto all had been peace there.  The old man was
+generally seated by the open window listening to the voice of his
+beloved falls.  But now there was a distinct atmosphere of excitement.
+Mrs. Bean was there, and her face had a most worried expression.  Betty
+had been crying, but seeing Jasper she brushed away her tears and
+sprang to her feet.
+
+"Oh, Mr. Jasper," she cried, "isn't it awful!  Have you heard the news?"
+
+"What news?" Jasper asked in surprise, as he took a chair by David's
+side.  "I haven't heard anything of special importance."
+
+"It's about Mr. Sinclair, that's who it is.  Just think, he wants to
+take all of our logs!"
+
+"Take your logs!"
+
+"Yes, that's what he's going to do.  Mother got a letter from him and
+she has just read it to us.  He says there is a mistake about the line
+between his place and ours, and that all those fine logs belong to him.
+He says he had a new line run last week and that the old line is wrong.
+He warns mother not to touch or sell a log there, for if she does he
+will sue her."
+
+Betty was excited, and her words rushed forth like a torrent.  For a
+few minutes Jasper could hardly believe that he had heard aright.
+
+"Do you mean to tell me," and he turned to Mrs. Bean, "that what your
+daughter says is true?  Surely there must be some serious mistake."
+
+"I'm afraid not," was the reply.  "There is the letter, which you can
+read for yourself."
+
+It took Jasper but a few seconds to scan the brief note, and when he
+was through he sat staring at it as if he had not seen aright.  Was it
+possible, he asked himself, that Peter Sinclair was stooping to such a
+contemptible piece of business?  And to do it to a widow at that added
+to his meanness.  What justification did he have for doing such a
+thing? he wondered.
+
+"Was there ever any dispute about the line?" Jasper asked.
+
+"None at all," Mrs. Bean replied.  "A mistake was made years ago just
+after we were married.  The surveyor started from the wrong rock up the
+brook, and the line then run cut off that part which Mr. Sinclair is
+now claiming.  But it was rectified just as soon as my husband came
+home, and there has been no trouble since until now."
+
+"Did Mr. Sinclair notify you that he was going to have a new line run?"
+Jasper enquired.
+
+"No, I knew nothing about what was taking place until I received that
+letter."
+
+"I wonder what suggested such a thing to him?" Jasper mused as if to
+himself.  "There must have been something."
+
+"Why, I think I know." Betty exclaimed.  "I do not believe he ever
+thought about it until that day he was talking to Mr. David and me up
+the brook.  We were near Pyramid Rock, and I told him about the mistake
+the surveyor had made years ago in running the line.  He seemed to be
+very much interested then.  Maybe that was what started it.  Just
+think, it was all my fault.  Oh, if I could only hold my tongue once in
+a while how much good it would do."
+
+At that instant a knock sounded upon the door, and when Betty had
+opened it Lois entered.  She looked surprised when she saw the visitors
+in the room, and at once noticed the worried expression upon Mrs.
+Bean's face.
+
+"This must be your special afternoon for receiving company," she
+remarked with a smile, as she took David's hand.  "It isn't often you
+have Mrs. Bean and Mr. Randall to see you on the same day, is it?"
+
+"Mr. Randall has been here before," was the reply, "but this is the
+first time that Mrs. Bean has favoured me with a call.  It was special
+business which brought her here to-day."
+
+"You're not going to take Betty away from Mr. David, are you?" Lois
+asked, turning to Mrs. Bean.
+
+"Oh, no; it is something far different from that.  It is a very serious
+matter, I assure you."
+
+"What, no one ill at home, I hope?"
+
+"No.  The boys were well when I left."
+
+An awkward silence followed, and Lois felt that there was something of
+a private nature which these people were discussing, and that she had
+interrupted their conversation.
+
+Jasper, who had risen to his feet as Lois entered the room, divined the
+thoughts which were passing through her mind, and came to her
+assistance.
+
+"Let Miss Sinclair see the letter, Mrs. Bean," he suggested.  "Perhaps
+it will explain matters better than we can."
+
+Without a word Mrs. Bean complied with this request, and then leaned
+back in her chair with a deep sigh.
+
+Much mystified, Lois ran her eyes over the letter, and as she did so
+her face underwent a marvellous transformation.  The sunny expression
+departed and the colour faded from her cheeks, leaving them very white.
+The words seemed to fascinate her, and for a while she stood staring
+upon them.  Then a tremor shook her body, and her right hand closed,
+crushing the letter within it.  With a strong effort she regained her
+composure and turned toward the widow.
+
+"I cannot understand this," she began.  "I had no idea that my father
+would do such a thing.  There must be some mistake.  I shall go now and
+think it all over.  Will you come with me, Mr. Randall?  I would like
+to speak with you."
+
+Without another word the two left the house and walked slowly down the
+lane leading to the road.  Presently Lois stopped and turned to her
+companion.
+
+"I am almost heartbroken over what my father has done," she began.  "I
+have stood by him, and have tried to shield him all I could, but what
+is the use of doing so any longer?"
+
+"Could you not speak to him, and induce him to change his mind?" Jasper
+asked.
+
+"I can do nothing.  He has even turned against me.  He believes that I
+am his enemy, and that I know more about the affairs of the new company
+than I am willing to tell him.  He is becoming more unbearable every
+day.  Only last night he told me that I could leave him whenever I
+wanted to as he could get along better without me.  He said that he did
+not want a traitor in his house.  Oh, it is terrible!  I cannot
+understand what has come over him.  He was always hard and
+unsympathetic, but never like this."
+
+"And will you go?" Jasper enquired.
+
+"At first I thought I would.  But after thinking it all over very
+carefully I have decided to remain with him.  He needs me now more than
+ever.  You have no idea what a helpless man he is.  I shudder to think
+what would become of him should I leave him at the present time."
+
+"But it might teach him a lesson if you should leave him for a while,"
+Jasper urged.  "It is not right that your life should be made so
+miserable."
+
+He was looking into her downcast face as he said this.  Her hands were
+clasped before her, and how he longed to seize them in his, and tell
+her all that was in his heart; how he would look after her and bestow
+upon her that love which her father denied her.
+
+"I must not forsake him," was her low reply.  "He is my father, and I
+must remain by his side.  I promised my mother that I would.  We shall
+leave for the city next week, and I dread the thought of going."
+
+"But you will be able to forget much of your trouble there, will you
+not?  Your social life will be so different, and----"
+
+"Don't speak of such a thing," she interrupted.  "You little realise
+how I despise so many of the social gatherings held there.  What do
+they amount to?  What good do they do?  I enjoy amusements, but I think
+people should not make them the sole object in life.  But that seems to
+me to be just what so many do.  I want to be of some use in the world,
+and I believe the best way to be happy is to help others."
+
+They were walking slowly along as Lois uttered these words.  She spoke
+deliberately as if she had considered them carefully, and was not
+speaking under the influence of the moment.
+
+"You are right, Miss Sinclair," Jasper replied.  "I, too, have come to
+realise that he who thinks only of self finds unhappiness, while he who
+forgets self in seeking to help and uplift others will find the
+greatest joy."
+
+The tone of certainty in his voice caused Lois to glance up into his
+face.  She liked his words, especially as she felt they were real.
+
+"And you were not always like that?" Lois asked.
+
+"Oh, no.  Only recently have I come to view things in a different
+light."
+
+"What caused the change?"
+
+"It was old David."
+
+"Old David!  I am surprised to hear you say that.  I had no idea that
+he was able to influence any one except Betty Bean."
+
+"He has influenced me as well, though it was all done unconsciously.  I
+have been watching him closely for some time, and ever since I have
+known him he has been so happy.  Even when he had not a cent and was
+sold to the lowest bidder, he did not lose heart.  And why?  Because he
+was thinking of others, and what his plans would do for the people both
+in the city and in the country.  He was willing to endure poverty and
+taunts that those around him might be benefited.  He was misunderstood,
+but it made little or no difference to him.  He was happy in the
+thought that he was going to do good.  To me he is a wonder, and I
+believe I can do no better than endeavour to follow his example and
+think less of myself.  When I entered into the employ of this new
+company I did it merely for the money I was to get out of it, and a
+certain spirit of curiosity as to the outcome.  Now, however, I am
+working with a far higher motive.  I begin to see what a benefit this
+undertaking will be to the entire community and a blessing to so many,
+even though at present they may not realise it."
+
+They had reached the gate leading to the Sinclair house by the time
+Jasper had finished.  The colour had returned to Lois' cheeks, and her
+eyes were now filled with animation.
+
+"Oh, I am so glad to hear you speak as you do," she replied.  "It
+strengthens my own convictions to hear you express yourself that way,
+and I feel that I shall bear my part more bravely in the city than
+otherwise I would have done."
+
+Jasper's pulse beat quicker at these words.  So she would think of him,
+then, in the midst of her active city life.  There was a great comfort
+to him in the thought.
+
+"You will return next summer, I suppose," he remarked.  "We shall miss
+you very much in the meantime."
+
+"I hope to do so, and it will be something to look forward to.  But you
+will surely come to see us when you visit the city.  I shall be so
+anxious to hear all the news from Creekdale."
+
+"Nothing would give me greater pleasure," Jasper replied.  "But I do
+not expect to leave the woods before spring.  Even if business should
+take me to the city, I should not feel like making a social call.  I
+should frighten you and your friends who might happen to be with you by
+my rough clothes and hard hands.  Oh, no, it would not be proper, so I
+had better stay away."
+
+Lois was not slow in detecting the note of bitterness an his voice as
+he uttered these words.  She was aggrieved that he should think that
+his rough appearance would make any difference to her.  And yet she
+understood his feelings.  His sensitiveness would make him most
+unwilling to go to a place where he would be looked upon with ridicule,
+and at the same time embarrass the ones he happened to visit.
+
+"You need not worry about your appearance when you visit me, Mr.
+Randall," and her eyes met his as she spoke.  "I shall think all the
+more of you if your hands are rough and your face weather-beaten.  I
+shall never be ashamed of the marks of honest toil.  I must go now, but
+I shall expect to see you before spring."
+
+To Jasper that was one of the happiest times of his whole life.  He
+believed that she was interested in him, while the look in her eyes and
+the words she uttered were to him an inspiration during the following
+days and weeks of weary work in the woods.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+SUBTLE INFLUENCE
+
+Although Lois preferred to remain in the country, yet she did not waste
+her days in repining over her life in the city.  She at once looked
+about for opportunities of usefulness.  These she found in St.
+Saviour's, the church she attended.  Her musical abilities made her a
+welcomed member of the choir.  But she was not satisfied with merely
+singing.  She wished to do more, and she soon found an outlet in
+assisting the unfortunate ones in the parish.  It was through "The
+Helping Hand Society" that she found she could do the most effective
+work, and she never tired of going from house to house where her
+services were most needed.
+
+Dick often upbraided her for giving so much of her time to Church work,
+and said that she should go with him to dances and whist parties.
+
+"I have no interest in such things," she told him over and over again.
+"There is too much to be done around us in helping others, to spend all
+of one's time upon such gaieties."
+
+"But think what people are saying," her brother protested.  "They call
+you unsociable and stuck-up, and it is hard for me to listen to such
+things."
+
+Lois laughed at Dick's fears and told him not to worry.  She said that
+she was quite able to look after herself, and did not mind what people
+were saying so long as she was doing what was right.
+
+When Christmas season came around Lois found herself more busy than
+ever.  There were so many baskets to be provided for the needy, and
+this year they were going to send a number to poor families out in the
+country districts.  It was just when she was in the midst of this work
+that Dick asked her to attend a dance with him on Thursday night.
+
+"If you don't go this time I shall never ask you again," he told her.
+"It's to be at Mrs. Dingle's, and you know how cut up she will feel if
+you refuse her.  Sammie, too, is expecting you, and he will never visit
+us again if you do not go."
+
+"But how am I to leave my work, Dick?" Lois questioned.  "We are so
+busy every night packing the boxes, which we must get off as soon as
+possible.  I am more interested in them than I am in what Mrs. Dingle
+and Sammie might think.  They surely know by this time that I do not
+care for them."
+
+"Well, come for my sake, then," Dick pleaded.
+
+"That is a better reason why I should go," and Lois smiled upon her
+brother.
+
+"And you will go?" Dick was all eagerness now.  "There's to be a jolly
+crowd there.  Sammie told me that he has invited a crack-a-jack of an
+artist he met at the club.  He is an English chap and has been out here
+only a short time.  He puts out some great stuff in the way of
+pictures, so I understand.  Then, that Westcote girl is to be there.
+My, I'm anxious to meet her.  She is worth while if what I hear about
+her is true."
+
+The mention of the Westcote girl gave Lois more interest in the dance
+than she had hitherto taken.  She did want to see her as well as Dick,
+for she had often thought about her since she had heard that Jasper had
+luncheon with her and her father at the Sign of the Maple.  It was
+unusual for her to take an interest in a stranger.  But this was
+different, and so she decided to accompany her brother.
+
+Mrs. Dingle was delighted to have Lois at her party, principally on her
+son's account.  She had chosen her for Sammie from all the eligible
+girls she knew, and the idea that Lois might object to becoming Mrs.
+Sammie Dingle never once entered her mind.  There were financial
+reasons as well, for was not Peter Sinclair manager and chief owner of
+the City Light and Power Company?
+
+Lois had not been long in the room, ere she felt herself affected by
+some unknown influence.  She could not account for this feeling as she
+had never experienced, anything like it before.  Even when on the floor
+in the midst of a dreamy waltz, a sense of dread almost overwhelmed
+her.  A weight seemed suddenly to press upon her heart, as if some
+terrible disaster were near.  Hers was not a mind to be easily
+disturbed by such things, and she was not naturally of a superstitious
+nature.  She tried to shake off the feeling, but all in vain.  What was
+the cause of it? she asked herself over and over again.
+
+That waltz was the longest she had ever experienced; and most thankful
+was she when Sammie at last led her off the floor.  As she was about to
+sit down she happened to glance to her right, and as she did so her
+eyes met those of a man standing not far away.  Intuitively she
+realised that there was the source of her strange agitation.  It was
+only for an instant that their eyes met, but it was long enough for
+Lois to realise that some subtle influence had come upon her which
+would affect her whole life.
+
+With as much composure as possible she resumed her seat.  She longed to
+be alone that she might think it all over, and endeavour to cast off
+the spell which was depressing her.  She tried to reason it out, but
+her thoughts were interrupted by Mrs. Dingle who stood suddenly before
+her.
+
+"Lois, dear," she heard her say, "I want you to meet my famous guest,
+Mr. Sydney Bramshaw, the noted English artist, who has favoured us with
+his presence to-night.  I have been waiting this opportunity ever since
+you arrived, but could not get you and Sammie separated long enough to
+do so until now."
+
+These closing words annoyed Lois and she longed more than ever to leave
+the room, especially so when Bramshaw sat down by her side and began to
+talk to her in a familiar manner.
+
+"I wanted to meet you as soon as I saw you enter the room," he told
+her, "and I almost despaired of obtaining an opportunity."
+
+"Why should you be so anxious to meet me?" Lois replied.  "I am sure
+that I have done nothing to merit your special attention."
+
+"Oh, but you are so decidedly superior to the rest, don't you know.  I
+am somewhat gifted with a discerning mind, and am able at a glance to
+tell the gold from the dross."
+
+If Bramshaw imagined that his companion was susceptible to such
+flattery he was greatly mistaken.  His words disgusted Lois, and yet
+she must remember that he was Mrs. Dingle's guest and that she must be
+agreeable as far as it was possible.
+
+"You are an artist, so I understand," she replied.
+
+"Yes, in a way.  I am fond of observing the beautiful in the common
+things of Nature, and placing them upon canvas.  So many go through
+life with their eyes shut.  They have eyes but do not see.  With me it
+is different, and because of my ability to see and depict the real
+things of life, I have received considerable recognition."
+
+"That must give you satisfaction," Lois murmured.
+
+She tried to seem interested, but it was a difficult undertaking.
+
+"It does in a way," and Bramshaw assumed an air of careless
+indifference.  He was a little man, and his effort made him seem
+ridiculous.  "But, it is so seldom that one meets with kindred spirits,
+don't you know.  There are so few who are able to discuss the finer
+points of art.  I would not mind in the least enlightening those around
+me, but they, as a rule, are so unwilling to listen.  With you,
+however, it is different.  You have a trained mind, and that makes such
+a vast difference."
+
+Lois was about to make some half-hearted reply, when her eyes rested
+upon the face of a girl on the opposite side of the room.  It was the
+most beautiful and perfect face she had ever seen, and she wondered who
+she was and where she had come from.  She tried to listen to what
+Bramshaw was saying and at the same time watch the girl before her.
+She was talking to Dick, and she noted the animated expression upon her
+face as she smiled at something he was saying.  It must have been about
+her for she suddenly turned and their eyes met.  For an instant only
+the girl hesitated, and then with a graceful movement swept swiftly
+across the room and stood before Lois.
+
+"Pardon me," she began, as she took Lois' hand, "I could not help
+coming to you as soon as I saw you.  Your brother was telling me what a
+hard time he had to get you away from your Church work to come to the
+party.  When I heard that I wanted to meet you at once.  I am Margaret
+Westcote, and have been in this country but a short time, and
+everything is so new and interesting to me."
+
+"Ducedly tame, I call it," Bramshaw interposed before Lois had time to
+say a word.  "I can't for the life of me see what you find congenial in
+a land like this, Miss Westcote."
+
+"It all depends upon what you call tame, Mr. Bramshaw," was the
+somewhat sarcastic reply.  "If you spend your time thinking only about
+yourself it is no wonder you are bored.  I haven't heard of your doing
+anything worth while since you came to this city."
+
+"Come, come, Miss Westcote," Bramshaw protested, as he stroked his
+silky moustache with the soft white fingers of his right hand.
+"Artists, you should realise, are generally misunderstood.  You cannot
+judge us according to ordinary standards.  We are often most intensely
+busy when we seem to be inactive.  Our apparent idleness is the time
+when valuable impressions are being imbibed to be produced later in
+masterpieces for the benefit and admiration of the whole world.  It is
+utterly impossible for ordinary minds to grasp this, but it is true,
+nevertheless."
+
+"I beg your pardon, Mr. Bramshaw," and the girl made him a slight
+graceful bow, "I really forgot that you are an artist.  Appearances are
+so deceptive, you know.  I shall leave you now to carry on your
+imbibing process.  Perhaps Miss Sinclair will come with me, so that you
+can have the imbibing time all to yourself.  It would be a pity to
+spoil your great masterpiece."
+
+Lois was surprised at Miss Westcote's sarcasm, and, she fully expected
+that Bramshaw would be angry.  But he did not appear to mind in the
+least.  On the contrary, he smiled all the time she was speaking, as if
+her words greatly amused him.  Lois was glad of any excuse to leave
+this man whose very presence depressed her in a remarkable manner.
+When at last alone with Miss Westcote in an adjoining room, she sank
+into a comfortable chair in a cosy corner.  Her face was unusually
+pale, and this her companion at once noted.
+
+"You are tired," she sympathetically remarked, taking a seat by her
+side.  "You seem to be greatly upset."
+
+"It is that man," Lois replied with considerable emphasis.  "I never
+had any one to affect me as he does.  I cannot understand it.  I am not
+superstitious, and I have always prided myself upon my self-confidence,
+but I cannot account for the feeling that has come over me to-night."
+
+"Oh, that man would upset almost any one," Miss Westcote replied.  "I
+can not endure him."
+
+"You do not evidently mind speaking plainly to him," Lois remarked.
+
+"Certainly not.  When I take a dislike to any person I generally say
+just what I think, especially to such a cad as that."
+
+"You know something about him, then?"
+
+"All I want to.  He has been trying to get my father to give him the
+position of looking after an old man up the river.  Mr. Randall has
+been doing it, and Bramshaw wants to have him discharged so he can get
+the job.  Just think of that."
+
+"Why should he wish to do that?" Lois asked in great surprise.  "If he
+is an artist why should he want to take care of old David?"
+
+"So you know the old man?" Miss Westcote enquired.
+
+"Oh, yes.  And I know Mr. Randall, too.  He is so good to old David."
+
+"I know he would be.  I met him once at the Sign of the Maple with my
+father, and he seemed to be so different from most men.  He was so
+manly and had such a strong face.  I liked him as soon as I saw him."
+
+"He deserves great credit, Miss Westcote.  He is a self-made man, and
+his life has been a hard one.  He has had to struggle against many
+obstacles.  But he will win and make a name for himself, I feel quite
+sure."
+
+It was impossible for these two to be long alone in such a quiet spot.
+Just when the conversation was becoming interesting, they were sought
+for by their partners for the next dance, and reluctantly they were
+forced to forego the many things they wished to say to each other.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+THE "CUT-OFF"
+
+The meeting with Margaret Westcote was a great event in Lois' life.
+Hitherto, her lot had been somewhat of a lonely one, with no special
+girl friend to share her confidences.  Her interests had always been so
+different from others that she was not looked upon by any as a boon
+companion.  She often reasoned with them and asked why they should make
+selfish pleasure the principal motive of living when they could have
+more enjoyment by putting self last and others first.
+
+With Margaret Westcote, however, it was different.  She was after Lois'
+own heart, and the two were as one in their interests.  Each supplied
+what the other lacked; one her vivaciousness, and the other her
+calmness of mind.  Their friendship was not a growth but a fusing at
+the first meeting.  They were now very much together, and Margaret took
+a keen interest in the work of getting the Christmas supplies ready for
+needy families.
+
+Dick was delighted that this beautiful girl was so much at the house,
+and for the first time in his life he found Church work most
+interesting.  He was always ready to help, but was generally in the
+way.  It was quite evident that he was greatly in love with Margaret,
+though she on her part treated him as a mere boy and not as a lover.
+He could not seem to realise that she was an excellent judge of
+character, and preferred men who did things instead of spending their
+time in idleness.  Lois understood the girl's feelings, and the truth
+began to dawn upon her that Jasper Randall was Margaret's ideal type of
+a man.  One who could battle and overcome was the man who appealed to
+her.  Whenever Jasper's name was mentioned Margaret's eyes would
+sparkle with animation, and she never tired of talking about him and
+the struggle he had made in life.
+
+The week before Christmas Lois became more enthusiastic than ever with
+the work of getting the boxes ready to be sent to the various families.
+She longed to interest her father, and one morning before he left for
+his office she asked him if he would not do something for the families
+of the men who were working for him in the woods on the old Dinsmore
+Manor.  She had never spoken to him about the letter he had written to
+Mrs. Bean, feeling sure that it would be of no avail.  But she had
+learned through a letter from Betty that the choppers had not yet
+crossed the line, and for this Lois was thankful.  Perhaps he did not
+intend to take the logs, she reasoned, but had written the letter
+during one of his cranky moods, with no intention of putting his threat
+into practice.
+
+"Why should we send anything to country families?" her father asked
+her.  "They earn good money, and why should we help them?"
+
+"But there are some very poor families," Lois replied, "and I know they
+can hardly make a living.  There is Mrs. Bean, for instance.  She
+hasn't the bare necessities of life at times, and a present this
+Christmas would be a blessing to her."
+
+"I can't help that," Mr. Sinclair angrily retorted.  "It's none of my
+business if she is poor.  Where would we be, I'd like to know, if we
+handed out to such people?  Why, there are thousands of them."
+
+It was in no happy frame of mind that Mr. Sinclair left the house and
+made his way down town.  Reaching his office, he seated himself before
+his desk and spread out a somewhat soiled piece of paper.  Over this he
+ran his finger until it stopped at a certain mark.  "Camp Number One,"
+he muttered.  "Ha, ha! good timber there, and close to the line, too.
+Camp Number Two--much nearer the line," and his finger moved over the
+paper to another mark.  "Camp Number Three, and over the border into
+the enemy's country, ha, ha!  Good for five thousand.  Pine timber,
+straight and clean as masts, and thick as hair on a dog's back.  How
+they'll squirm, those country clogs, when they see their good logs
+floating down the river.  But they're mine.  The new line is right, for
+the best surveyor in the Province ran it.  Fifty rods inside the old
+one, ha, ha!  I expect they'll make a fuss and put up a big kick.  But
+I'll fight them, and then we'll see what money will do."
+
+A knock sounded upon the door, and three men entered with hats in their
+hands.
+
+"Mr. Sinclair, I believe," the spokesman began.
+
+"Yes, that's my name, and what can I do for you?" the lumberman replied.
+
+"Well, you see," continued the other, "we've come to the city on
+purpose to have a talk with you about that line you had run between
+your land and ours."
+
+"Well, and what about it?" snapped Sinclair.
+
+"We've been appointed a committee to inform you that your men are
+cutting logs over the line, and are encroaching on the shore lots.
+They began day before yesterday."
+
+"What, the men of Camp Number Three?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"But that timber is mine," Sinclair replied.  "I sent a surveyor there
+last summer and he found that the old line was wrong.  A new one was
+run which gives me fifty rods off the rear of your shore lots."
+
+"There must be some mistake, Mr. Sinclair," the countryman calmly
+returned.  "Our forefathers received their lands as grants from the
+Crown after the Revolutionary War.  A line was then run which separated
+the shore lots from that portion of land known as the 'Dinsmore Manor,'
+and there has been no dispute over it until now."
+
+"Look here!" and Sinclair sprang to his feet.  "I know my business and
+attend to it.  You attend to yours.  The new line is right and, by
+heavens, I'll stick to it!"
+
+"We are attending to our business," the countryman replied, "and we'll
+show you, wealthy though you are, that you can't work any bluff game on
+us.  But," and here he lowered his voice, "Mr. Sinclair, we don't want
+to quarrel.  We came chiefly to tell you that your men in Camp Number
+Three are cutting the logs on the farm of a poor widow with several
+children.  If you are a man of any heart you will see that the work is
+stopped at once."
+
+"What, cease for a widow and her brood?  Never!  There is the Poor
+House--let her go there; and the Orphanage is the place for the kids if
+they are not old enough to work.  Such people only injure a settlement,
+and you should be glad to be rid of them.  So, gentlemen, as I have
+much business on hand, I wish to be alone."
+
+"And you will do nothing to help that poor woman?" the three men asked
+as one.
+
+"No, nothing.  Do your best.  If you wish to lose your farms, go ahead.
+Good day."
+
+Christmas came on Thursday, and on Tuesday morning Mr. Sinclair
+informed Lois that he was going away and would not be back until the
+end of the week.  It was during breakfast that he told her this, and
+Lois paused in the act of pouring his coffee.
+
+"And you'll not be here for Christmas?" she asked in surprise.
+
+"No.  Christmas means nothing to me.  I intend to visit my camps.  I
+should have gone before, as no doubt the men are loafing.  I am going
+to surprise them.  They'll never expect to see me at this season of the
+year.  The men'll want to take three days off, and I can't allow it.
+They always come back unfitted for work after their celebrations.
+They'll do nothing of the kind this year if they expect to work for me."
+
+Lois knew only too well how useless it was to try to reason with her
+father when he had once made up his mind.  She had learned from bitter
+experience in the past that the less she said the better it would be.
+Nevertheless, her heart was very sad at the change that had come over
+her father.  Never before had he gone away fit Christmas time, and it
+was the one day in the year when he was more pleasant than usual.  What
+would be the outcome of it all? she wondered.
+
+That very morning as soon as breakfast was over Mr. Sinclair left for
+the scenes of his lumbering operations, about fifty miles from the
+city.  He travelled with a horse and sleigh, and on the second day he
+reached Camp Number Two shortly after the men had finished their
+mid-day meal and were starting back to their work.  No sooner had
+Sinclair entered the cabin than his eyes fell upon a man lying in one
+of the bunks.
+
+"Hello, Stevens," he called to the foreman, "who is this taking life so
+easy, when the rest of us are struggling for our daily bread?"
+
+"Oh, that is Robins, one of our best men," was the reply.  "He took
+sick this morning, and I would have sent him to the shore at once only
+to-morrow will be Christmas Day and I thought he could wait until
+to-night when the teams will be going out, and----"
+
+"Going out!  Going out, are they?" Sinclair interrupted.  "And who gave
+orders to quit on Christmas Day, I'd like to know?"
+
+"We always quit on that day, sir," Stevens stammered.  "It's been the
+custom for years, and I took it for granted----"
+
+"Yes, that's just the trouble.  You take too many things for granted.
+But I tell you this, Christmas is all nonsense.  It breaks up the work,
+and the hauling season is none too long at the best.  I'll have none of
+it.  You'll work or quit, and that's the end of it."
+
+"But what about Robins?" questioned the foreman, whose thoughts were
+travelling away to a little group of bright faces anxiously awaiting
+his home-coming for a jolly Christmas.
+
+"Isn't there any spare team?" Sinclair asked.
+
+"None to spare, sir.  We've only the bob-sleds, and they're not much
+for a sick man to ride on.  But," he added after a pause, "we were
+going to fix up something to-night, sir."
+
+"Confound it all!" Sinclair exclaimed.  "What are we going to do?  I
+can't afford to let a double team go, and besides, it would mean a loss
+of two days.  Let me see.  How far is it to Camp Number Three?"
+
+"Three miles if you go by way of the cut-off, but four if you go
+around.  The cut-off hasn't been used much by the teams this winter,
+and it is little more than a foot-path."
+
+"How far is it to the cut-off?" Sinclair asked.
+
+"About two miles."
+
+"Well, look here, Stevens.  You drive me to that cut-off, and then get
+some one to take that sick fellow out with my rig.  I'll walk the rest
+of the way to the camp, and stay there till you come for me."
+
+When the cut-off had been reached, Sinclair started off on a brisk walk
+in the keen frosty air.  He even felt quite young and cheerful as he
+moved forward.  But the trail was rough, and his coat was very heavy,
+so after walking for some time he began to feel weary.
+
+"This is a long trail," he muttered.  "Confound that sick man!  What
+business had he getting laid up and causing all this trouble."
+
+Hardly had the words left his mouth before his foot struck the stump of
+a small tree, and with a cry of pain he sank upon the snow.  Recovering
+himself he tried to walk, but so great was the agony when his right
+foot touched the trail that he groaned aloud.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+CHRISTMAS EVE
+
+Peter Sinclair was now in a serious predicament.  Fortune had favoured
+him so long that to be thus blocked by a mean little stump was too much
+for his excitable nature.  He raged and railed against everything and
+everybody in general.  But the tall stately trees were silent witnesses
+to his passionate outbursts, and poor sympathisers.  When sober
+thoughts at length came to him, he began to realise the seriousness of
+his position.  Out of hearing of the camp, on a trail seldom travelled;
+a sprained ankle; the short December day closing down, and the unknown
+terrors of the lone forest.  The perspiration stood out in beads upon
+his forehead as he viewed the situation.
+
+At last he started to limp along the trail, but at every step he
+staggered into the snow and fell heavily forward.  He tried to crawl,
+but so slow was his progress and so weary did he become that this was
+soon abandoned.  And there he lay, thinking as he had never thought
+before.  His business was forgotten, and several times he remembered
+the sick man lying in the bunk at Camp Number Two.  And all this time
+the sun sank lower to rest, and long shadows stole among the great
+trees like fearful monsters creeping upon him.  He became cold, too,
+and his body shivered, while his teeth chattered incessantly.
+
+When it seemed to him that he had lain there on the snow for hours, he
+heard a noise, and looking along the trail he saw a little red dog
+bounding straight toward him.  How often had he spurned just such a cur
+with his foot, on the city streets, but never did any creature seem so
+good to Sinclair as did that lean canine specimen before him.
+
+"Good doggie," he called.  "Come here, doggie."
+
+But the animal remained at a safe distance, barking furiously, at the
+same time casting glances back along the trail as if expecting some one
+from that quarter.  Soon a sturdy figure appeared in sight with a
+rabbit over his shoulder.  He stopped in amazement at the scene before
+him, unable to comprehend its meaning.
+
+"Come here, sonny," Sinclair called out, fearing the boy would take
+fright and disappear.
+
+But the lad stood perfectly still as if turned to stone.
+
+"For heaven's sake!" Sinclair continued, "come and help a poor stricken
+man who can't walk."
+
+At this appeal the boy drew nearer, and seeing that it was only a man
+lying in the snow, the startled expression faded from his face.
+
+"What's the matter, and watcher want?" he asked.
+
+"I've sprained my ankle and can't walk," was the reply.  "Is there any
+house near?  Can't you bring some one to help me?"
+
+At this the lad became electrified into new life.  His senses returned,
+and he grasped the situation in an instant.
+
+"Gee whiz!" he exclaimed.  "Mighty lucky I came to my rabbit snares
+to-night instead of t'morrer.  Y'see, that's Christmas Day, and we
+don't do no work then."
+
+"Lucky for me you came to-night, my boy," Sinclair replied, and then he
+remembered how he had denounced the day but a short time before.  "But
+I can't stay in this place all night.  Can't you get somebody to help
+me?"
+
+"Y'bet," the boy responded.  "Buck and Bright'll help y'outer this fix.
+Jes' wait a minute."
+
+At this he hurried away, and although he was gone not much over half an
+hour it seemed to Sinclair like an age before "Haw, Buck!  G'up,
+Bright!  Git up thar!" sounded upon his ears.
+
+Presently he beheld the forms of two panting steers, plunging and
+wallowing through the snow, each crowding the other in an endeavour to
+maintain the firm footing on the narrow trail.  When they caught sight
+of the dark object lying before them, they stopped, sniffed the air,
+and bolted to the right.  But the boy with considerable skill, the
+result of long practice, wheeled them about, and after much shouting
+and exertion headed them homeward.
+
+"Hi, thar!" he called to the prostrate man.  "Kin ye manage t'git to
+th' sled?  These steers is mighty scart, and I must stan' by an' hold
+'em."
+
+With a great effort Sinclair began to crawl slowly along the trail, and
+when about exhausted reached the sled.
+
+"Hol' on now," the boy ordered, as he cracked his whip and the steers
+started forward.  It was a rough trip, over knolls, striking stumps
+here and there, and squeezing between trees, when the sled had to be
+freed by much twisting and manoeuvring; but Sinclair thought it the
+best ride he had ever taken.
+
+"Mother's lookin' fer y'," remarked the lad, when they had finally
+gained the good road.  "She's got the best sofy out, an' was warmin'
+things up when I left."
+
+Sinclair made no reply.  He was cold, stiff, and too much exhausted to
+enter into conversation.  Not until he was stretched out on the big
+cosy sofa in front of the cheerful fire, after his sprained ankle had
+been bathed and well rubbed, did he become talkative.
+
+"My good woman," he began, "how can I ever repay you for your great
+kindness?"
+
+"Oh, that's nothing," she returned with a cheerful smile.  "I'm so glad
+Stephen went to his snares to-night.  It's Christmas Eve, you see, and
+though I'm sorry you're hurt, yet it's nice to have some one with me
+and the children.  It's very lonely here sometimes, and," she added
+after a pause, "he was here last Christmas.  But," she quickly
+continued, afraid she had said too much to a stranger, "I hope you feel
+more comfortable now, sir."
+
+"Oh, yes," Sinclair replied.  "My foot is quite easy: But would you
+mind making me a cup of hot tea?  I feel so chilly, and the tea will do
+me a world of good.  It always helps me."
+
+As he uttered these words a change passed over the woman's face, which
+Sinclair was not slow to observe.
+
+"Never mind," he hastened to remark.  "I don't wish to trouble you."
+
+"Dear me, sir, it's not that," the woman replied, somewhat confused, as
+she sat down upon a splint-bottom chair, and plucked at her apron.
+"It's not the trouble I mind; it's something else.  You see, it's
+this," she continued, while a flush passed over her care-worn face.
+"He left us last February, after one month's illness, and what with the
+doctor's bills and funeral expenses it was hard scraping.  We tried our
+best to get along, and ploughed and sowed last spring.  But it was a
+bad year for us.  The frost destroyed our buckwheat and potatoes when
+they were just in blossom; a fine cow died, and the foxes killed our
+geese and turkeys.  But we had our logs, and we always felt that we
+could fall back on them if the worst came.  Then just as we had made up
+our minds to sell a strip to that new Light and Power Company another
+blow fell."
+
+"What was that?" Sinclair quickly asked, as a new light dawned upon his
+mind.
+
+"It was a letter, sir, that I received from Mr. Sinclair, the manager
+of the city Light and Power Company, and who does a big lumbering
+business besides.  He told me that a new line had been run by a
+surveyor between the shore lots and the old Dinsmore Manor, and that
+all of those logs which I had hoped to sell belong to him.  He warned
+me not to sell or cut one, as he would prosecute me at once if I did.
+His men have already begun work, and I am helpless to stop them.  It is
+no use for me to go to law as I have no money, and it takes money to
+fight a man like that.  Would you like to see the letter, sir?"
+
+"No, no," Sinclair hastily replied.  "That man is a dev----.  Excuse
+me, madam, but I mean he is a hard man."
+
+"Well, you see," the woman continued, "things got so bad that we had to
+give up every little luxury, and the few dollars we could make from
+eggs and butter went for flour, clothing and taxes.  Tea we found too
+expensive, and it was given up.  That is the reason why I can't give
+you any to-night, sir.  And the poor children are so disappointed.
+Never before were they without presents at Christmas time.  But this
+year----"  Here the woman stopped and put her apron to her face.  It
+was for only an instant, however, for quickly removing it she
+continued: "But gracious me! here I've been bothering you with my long
+tale of woe, when you, poor man, have troubles enough of your own.  I
+have some fresh bread, butter, milk and preserves, which you shall have
+at once," and the little woman bustled away, leaving Sinclair alone
+with his thoughts.
+
+"Isn't it about time the mailman was along?" the mother asked that
+evening, after the chores had been done, and the children were sitting
+quietly in the room for fear of waking the stranger who had fallen
+asleep upon the sofa.
+
+"I believe I hear his bells now!" Stephen cried, as he rushed to the
+door.  Presently he came running back, his face aglow with excitement.
+"A bundle, Mother!" he shouted.  "A big bundle!  Come and help me."
+
+The confusion thus made awakened Sinclair, who opened his eyes just in
+time to see a good-sized bundle carried into the room, securely bound
+with stout cords.
+
+"There must be some mistake," exclaimed the surprised woman to the
+mailman who had entered.
+
+"No, mum," he replied.  "It's yours all right.  I found it at the shore
+where a freightin' team left it.  I don't generally carry such things.
+But says I to myself, 'That's fer Widder Bean, and she's goin' to have
+it to-night if Tim Harking knows anything.'  So thar 'tis.  I must be
+off now.  A merry Christmas to ye all," and with that the big-hearted
+man hurried away.
+
+"Dear me!" cried Mrs. Bean.  "What can it be, and who could have sent
+it?"
+
+"Let's open it, mother," Steve suggested.  "Mebbe we'll find out then."
+
+Together they all set to work, and after much tugging and labour the
+knots were loosened and the bundle fell apart.
+
+Then what a sight met their eyes.  Clothes of various sizes and quality
+were neatly piled together; complete suits for the boys; dresses for
+Betty and Dora, and another for their mother, besides a good supply of
+underwear for the whole family.
+
+"Well, bless my heart!" Mrs. Bean exclaimed.  "Who in the world has
+done this?  There must be some mis----"
+
+"A doll!" shrieked Dora.
+
+"A knife!" yelled Stephen, as he seized the precious treasure, felt its
+keen edge and examined the handle.
+
+Then a paper fluttered out of the bundle and fell on the floor at Mrs.
+Bean's feet.  As she picked it up and read the contents, a light broke
+over her puzzled face, and her hand trembled.
+
+"What's the matter, Mother?" Jimmy asked, noting her agitation.
+
+"Nothing, my boy," she replied.  "Only I'm so overcome at the good Lord
+giving us such kind friends on this Christmas Eve.  This is such a
+lovely letter from Miss Sinclair, and she says that all these things
+are from the Helping Hand Society of St. Saviour's Church.  Isn't it
+good of them?"
+
+A groan from the sofa startled her.
+
+"Is your ankle worse, sir?" she enquired, going to the side of the
+afflicted man.
+
+"Y-y-es," Sinclair replied; "but I feel better now.  I didn't mean to
+disturb you."
+
+"And look here!" Stephen cried, who had at length reached the bottom of
+the bundle.  "Well, I declare!  Two packages of Red Rose tea!  Hurrah!
+Now we kin have some fer Christmas."
+
+"And you, poor man," she said turning to Sinclair, "shall have a good
+strong cup just as soon as I can make it.  It seems to me I must be
+dreaming," and the excited woman bustled off to the kitchen.
+
+"Fool! fool!" Sinclair mused to himself as he sipped the delicious
+beverage.  "I thought such gifts went only to rogues and lazy rascals.
+I was wrong.  And yet, some of that tea has reached one of the biggest
+fools and rogues in the whole country, and that is Peter Sinclair."
+
+"And now, children," said Mrs. Bean, when the excitement of the evening
+had somewhat subsided, "it's getting late.  Let's have a Christmas
+hymn, and then Dora must go to bed.  You don't mind, sir, I hope.  We
+always sing several hymns on Christmas eve, and last year he was here
+to start them, for he had a good voice."
+
+"Oh, no," Sinclair replied.  "I don't mind, so go ahead."
+
+The mother started and all joined in; and as the words of "Hark the
+Herald Angels Sing" floated forth, old memories came drifting into the
+mind of the silent listener on the sofa.  He forgot for a time his
+surroundings and saw only the little parish church, of his boyhood
+days, decked with fresh bright evergreens, and heard the choir singing
+the familiar carols.  Several faces stood forth in clear relief; his
+parents', honest and careworn; his rector's, transfigured with a holy
+light; and one, fresh and fair, encircled by a wreath of light-brown
+tresses.
+
+He came to himself with a start, thinking the choir was singing "Glory
+to the New-Born King," when it was only the little group at his side
+finishing their hymn.  Tears were stealing down his cheeks, which he
+quickly brushed away, lest his emotion should be observed.
+
+That night, when the house was quiet, Sinclair drew forth a small
+note-book and wrote a few lines to the foreman of Camp Number Three.
+"Send word to the other camps as quickly as possible, and tell the men
+they need not come back till next Monday."  He then brought forth a
+thin book and made out a cheque for no small amount, payable to Mrs.
+Bean on account.
+
+Little did Peter Sinclair realise that the letter written to the
+foreman would never reach its destination, and that months would pass
+before the cheque would be presented for payment.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+THE NIGHT SUMMONS
+
+All through the fall and winter Jasper had been very busy.  The
+planning of the work, the overseeing of the men and ordering the
+supplies rested upon him alone.  He felt the responsibility, and he was
+determined that as far as he was concerned the company should not be
+disappointed in the amount of logs cut and hauled to the large "brow"
+near the falls.  He left the woods only when it was absolutely
+necessary for him to do so.  Several times he was tempted to drive to
+the city when new supplies were needed instead of ordering them over
+the telephone from Creekdale.  He longed to see Lois, even for a few
+minutes.  Such a visit, no matter how brief, would be an inspiration to
+him in his arduous work.  But he had always resisted the temptation,
+however, and had remained firmly at his post.  His desire to see her
+and to listen to her voice was great.  But he dreaded the idea of
+presenting himself at her home when she might have company, and he
+would feel so much out of place in their presence.  It might embarrass
+Lois as well, so he reasoned, and it would be better for him not to go.
+
+As Christmas drew near the men began to talk much about going home.
+Jasper listened to them but took no part in the conversation.  All of
+the men had homes to go to.  Most of them were married, and were
+looking forward with eagerness to the holiday with their families.  But
+to Jasper the season brought little joy.  No one was expecting him, and
+no face would brighten at his home-coming.  There was only one place
+where he longed to go, and one person he desired to see.  If he could
+but feel that her eyes would sparkle and her heart beat with joy at his
+presence, he would not have hesitated a moment.  But he was not sure,
+and so he decided to remain in camp and keep watch over the supplies
+while the rest went home.  If Christmas Day should be fine, he planned
+to pay a visit to old David in the afternoon.  He might hear something
+about Lois from the Petersons, so he thought, and that would be some
+comfort.
+
+Jasper lived in a small snug log cabin which he had built for his own
+special use.  He wished to be alone as much as possible each night that
+he might think over the work for the next day, and also have quietness
+for reading.  He had supplied himself with a number of books, and these
+were placed on a small shelf fastened to the wall.  So long had he been
+denied the privilege of good literature that he now came to the feast
+like a starving man.  Hitherto, his mind had craved only solid works of
+the masters.  But of late he had turned his attention more to books of
+romance, for in them he could find more heart satisfaction than in the
+others.  How he revelled in the outstanding characters of Dickens,
+Scott, Thackeray and Kingsley.  But it remained for Charles Reed to
+completely captivate him in "The Cloister and the Hearth."
+
+He was reading it this Christmas Eve as he lay stretched out upon his
+cot.  The lamp was at his head and the camp stove was sending out its
+genial heat.  It was a scene of peace and comfort.  But Jasper thought
+nothing of his surroundings as he lay there, for he was lost in the
+tragic story of Gerard and Margaret.  Nothing had ever moved him as
+much as the sad tale of these two unfortunate lovers.  His disengaged
+right hand often clenched hard as he read of the contemptible ones who
+plotted to separate them.  But how Margaret appealed to him.  What
+strength of character was hers, and how true and unselfish was her love
+through long, trying years.
+
+At length, laying aside the book, he began to meditate upon what he
+would do under like circumstances, if Lois' love for him were as deep
+as that of Margaret for Gerard.  He blamed Gerard for what he
+considered weakness on his part.  Why did he not arouse himself and
+throw off the shackles which bound him?  What right had any Church to
+separate two loving ones, and make their young lives so miserable?
+
+While thus musing Jasper fell asleep.  He was awakened by a loud
+rapping upon the door.  With no idea what time it was he sprang to his
+feet, hurried across the room and threw open the door.  As he did so he
+saw a young lad standing before him.  His face was flushed and he was
+panting heavily as if from a long run.
+
+"Hello!  Who are you?  And what do you want here at this time of the
+night?" Jasper demanded.
+
+"I'm Steve Bean, Betty's brother," the boy replied as he stepped
+briskly into the cabin.  "My, that was a hard run!" he added.  "I left
+home jist a quarter to twelve an' I don't think I've been over twenty
+minutes comin'."
+
+"Is it that late?" Jasper asked in surprise, as he drew forth his
+watch.  "Why, it's half-past twelve!  I didn't think I was asleep that
+long.  But, say, boy, what do you want at this time of the night?"
+
+"I want ye to go fer the doctor as quick as ye can."
+
+"Go for the doctor!" Jasper gasped.  "Who's sick?  Your mother?"
+
+"Oh, no; she's all right.  But there's a man at our place who is pretty
+bad, I guess.  I found him last night on that old cut-off when I was
+visitin' my snares.  He had a sprained ankle, an' couldn't walk.  I got
+the steers and toted him to our place.  Guess he got a bad cold while
+he was layin' there in the snow, fer he took awful sick in the night
+with chills, an' ma's afraid he'll die.  She kept Jimmy to help her an'
+sent me to git you to fetch the doctor."
+
+"But why didn't you get one of your nearby neighbours to go?" Jasper
+enquired.  "You have lost valuable time already."
+
+"H'm, I guess you don't know our neighbours.  They're kind enough an'
+would do all they could.  But their horses are about as slow as oxen.
+So ma says, 'Steve, you jist hustle fer Mr. Jasper.  He's got a horse
+that goes like a streak of lightin'.  He'll go all right when ye tell
+him you're Betty's brother.'  So I took the short-cut through the
+woods, an' here I am.  Will ye go?"
+
+"Sure," Jasper replied as he reached for his coat and hat.  "But who is
+that man?  And where did he come from?"
+
+"I don't know; never saw him before.  He's quite oldish, though."
+
+"Didn't your mother ask him what he was doing there alone in the woods?"
+
+"No; she didn't like to ask him.  She thought maybe he was goin' to
+Camp Number Three, which is not far from our house, an' on our land,
+too."
+
+Jasper paused in the act of lighting the lantern and looked into
+Steve's face.
+
+"Why, didn't you go there for help?" he asked.
+
+"What! go to them skunks fer help?" and the boy clenched his fists.
+"Never!  They're stealin' our logs an' we can't do nothin'.  De'ye
+think we'd ask old Pete Sinclair's men to do anything fer us?  We'd die
+first.  Jimmy an' me's been waitin' fer some time fer old Pete to come
+our way.  An' when he does----"  Steve's clenched right fist shooting
+out straight before him supplied his lack of suitable words to express
+the depth of his feelings.
+
+An idea suddenly flashed into Jasper's mind with a startling intensity.
+
+"What does that man look like?" he demanded in a voice which surprised
+the boy.
+
+"Oh, he's somewhat oldish, as I told ye; rather thick-set; has a heavy
+moustache, an' looks as if he has always had plenty of good things to
+eat.  I don't know as I can tell ye much more about him."
+
+Jasper had blown out the lamp and opened the door before Steve had
+finished speaking.  He was now very impatient to be away.  There was
+only one man, he felt quite sure, who would be prowling along that
+lonely trail on a Christmas Eve, and that man would be Peter Sinclair.
+It was of Lois he thought and not the sick man as he hurried to the
+stable, harnessed Pedro, and made him fast to the sleigh.
+
+"You go back home, Steve," he ordered, "and tell your mother that I
+have gone for the doctor."
+
+Pedro did not like the idea of being taken out of his warm stable at
+such an hour of the night.  But when once upon the firm road he gave
+his noble head a toss and sped along at a fast clip.  He had not been
+driven much of late and was in excellent form.  It was a clear
+star-light night, with not a breath of wind astir.  Jasper not only
+enjoyed the ride in the bracing air behind such a fast horse, but the
+feeling that he was doing it for Lois' sake filled him with
+satisfaction.  How he longed to speed straight to her with the message.
+But, no, that would not do.  Her father, he believed, was in need and
+must be cared for first.
+
+It took him somewhat over an hour to reach the doctor's house and to
+arouse him from sleep.  The latter was in no enviable frame of mind
+when he had admitted Jasper and learned the object of his visit.
+
+"Confound it all!" he growled.  "What do people mean by getting sick in
+the night!  Why don't they take the day for it!  But I don't see how I
+can go now.  My horse threw a shoe coming home last night, and I
+wouldn't think of putting her on the road without being properly shod."
+
+"I'll drive you there," Jasper replied, "and bring you back as well.
+But we must have you to-night, and at once.  If he is the man I think
+he is, you will not regret going."
+
+"Who is he?  Any one I know?" the doctor queried, now somewhat
+interested.
+
+"Yes, you know him.  But I shall not mention his name until I am
+certain.  Will you come?"
+
+"Oh, yes, I suppose so," the doctor replied as he moved wearily away to
+get ready for the journey.  "I have had so many night calls of late
+that I am tired out, and was hoping to have a good rest, especially on
+Christmas Day."
+
+In less than half an hour Pedro was again bounding nimbly over the
+road, this time headed straight for Mrs. Bean's ten miles off.  Jasper
+believed that the doctor slept most of the way for he never uttered a
+word from the time they started until they drew up before Mrs. Bean's
+house.
+
+The sound of the bells brought Jimmy to the door, and asking him to
+stable Pedro and give him something to eat, Jasper accompanied the
+doctor.  He was anxious to find out as soon as possible whether his
+surmise was correct about the sick man.  If so, he had his mind all
+made up what he would do, and there was no time to be lost.
+
+Mrs. Bean was waiting at the door to receive them, and led the way at
+once into the little sitting room which was warm and cosy.
+
+"Where's that man?" the doctor asked as he threw off his coat.  "You
+might have waited until morning before sending for me.  It's no joke to
+come so far on a cold night like this."
+
+"But I was afraid he would die, sir," Mrs. Bean replied.  "He is a very
+sick man.  He's in there," and she pointed to a door which led from the
+sitting room.
+
+After warming himself for a few minutes before the stove, the doctor
+entered the small bedroom closely followed by Jasper.  A shaded lamp
+with the wick turned down stood on a little table by the side of the
+bed.  Though the light was dim, it was enough for Jasper to recognise
+the man lying upon the bed.
+
+"You know who it is," he remarked in a low voice as he turned to the
+doctor.
+
+"Good heavens! it's Peter Sinclair!" was the astonished exclamation.
+"What in thunder is he doing here?"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+THE WILD NOR'EASTER
+
+Jasper did not remain long in the bedroom.  There was nothing there
+that he could do and he would be only in the way.  He found Mrs. Bean
+in the kitchen putting some wood in the stove.
+
+"Do you know who that sick man is?" he asked.
+
+"No, I have not the least idea," was the reply.  "He is a stranger to
+me, but that makes no difference.  The Bible bids us to entertain
+strangers for they may be angels unawares.  Isn't that so?"
+
+"But the Bible doesn't say that they will all be good angels, does it?
+Suppose the stranger you entertain should turn out to be your enemy,
+for instance?"
+
+"Why, what do you mean?" and the widow looked her surprise.  "How could
+an angel be one's enemy?"
+
+"Doesn't the Bible speak about evil angels?  If people were troubled
+with them in olden days I guess affairs haven't changed much since.
+Now, suppose the stranger you have entertained should be your enemy
+unawares instead of your friend, what would you do?"
+
+"It wouldn't make any difference in my care of him," Mrs. Bean
+emphatically replied.  "I should do just as the Scripture tells me, 'If
+thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so
+doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.'  That is what I
+should do."
+
+"Well, I guess you'll feel like heaping on the coals, all right, when
+you learn the name of your stranger.  You had better get a shovelful
+ready, for I am going to tell you."
+
+Mrs. Bean was busy setting the table for she knew how the men would
+appreciate a cup of hot tea and some of her fresh homemade bread after
+their long cold drive.  She paused with a plate in her hand and looked
+keenly at Jasper as he stood with his back to the stove.  When he had
+mentioned evil angels she thought that he was joking.  But now
+something told her that he was in earnest.  Suddenly there flashed into
+her mind an idea which made her heart thump.
+
+"There is only one person in the world who is my enemy, as far as I
+know," she remarked.
+
+"The man who is stealing your logs, eh?" Jasper queried.
+
+"Yes.  But surely he's not in there!"
+
+"Get your coals ready, Mrs. Bean," Jasper bantered.  "You can use them
+right away if you want to."
+
+Mrs. Bean paid no attention to these words.  Her worn face grew a shade
+paler and her hand shook as she laid the plate upon the table.  Just
+then the doctor entered the kitchen.
+
+"We must have a trained nurse at once," he began.  "That's a very sick
+man in there, Mrs. Bean, and he must have the greatest of care."
+
+"I shall do the best I can, sir," was the quiet reply.  "No one shall
+ever say of me that I didn't do my duty.  I have tried to do it in the
+past and shall try to do it still."
+
+"I know you will do what you can, Mrs. Bean," and the doctor's voice
+was more gentle than usual, "but you must have assistance.  No one
+could expect you to look after the house and take care of such a sick
+man as that.  We must send to the city for a nurse at once."
+
+"What about Miss Sinclair?" Jasper asked.  "She should be told of her
+father's illness.  I was planning to phone to her when we get hack to
+Creekdale.  She could arrange for a nurse to come by train, and I could
+meet her at the station.  This is Christmas Day and I'm afraid it will
+be difficult to get a nurse to come on go short a notice.  She would
+have to come on the suburban this evening, though, as that will be the
+only train she would be able to get."
+
+"Do the best you can," the doctor replied.  "I shall stay here to-day.
+It would not do for me to leave now until some one comes to help Mrs.
+Bean."
+
+The sun was just rising above the far-off horizon as Jasper rode into
+Creekdale.  Not a breath of wind was astir, and the only signs of life
+were the long wreathes of smoke circling up from numerous chimneys.
+The village nestled on the side of a hill and thus met the sun's early
+smile while the surrounding valleys were still draped in shadows.  To
+Jasper it seemed as if fairyland had burst suddenly upon his view after
+his drive through the sombre forest.  The snow sparkled like countless
+diamonds and the white-robed trees stood bathed in glistening glory.
+It was Nature's silent symphony in honour of the birthday of the great
+Prince of Peace.
+
+The telephone was at the store and it did not take Jasper long to
+arouse Andy Forbes and acquaint him with the object of his early visit.
+The storekeeper was greatly interested in the news of Peter Sinclair's
+illness.  He knew that in a short time various rumours would be
+circulating throughout the parish.  But he would have exact information
+and would be able to impress all by his hints of superior and
+first-hand knowledge.
+
+It took Andy some time to get "Central" in the city, and longer still
+to make connection with the Sinclair home, the number of which he had
+found in the Telephone Directory.  But at length his efforts were
+rewarded and he handed the receiver to Jasper.
+
+"Guess it's her, all right," was his comment.  "Her voice seems mighty
+shaky as if she's scared most out of her wits."
+
+How far away seemed Lois' voice and how anxious the tone as before
+Jasper had even time to explain she asked about her father.  Then, as
+briefly as possible, Jasper told what had happened to him, his illness,
+and where he was.
+
+"We need a nurse at once," he said, "and if you can get one, send her
+out on the suburban.  I will meet her at the station."
+
+"She will be there," was the emphatic reply.  "I know of one who will
+go without fail.  I thank you very much, Mr. Randall, for all your
+kindness to my father."
+
+Leaving the store Jasper made straight for the Haven where he received
+a royal welcome.  Early though it was they were all astir for a
+wonderful Christmas tree had been prepared the day before, and there it
+stood loaded with presents.
+
+"We had it for Betty," Mrs. Peterson explained, though it was quite
+evident that she and the captain as well as David were as much pleased
+as the girl.
+
+Besides the presents from one another there was something for each one
+from Lois.  As Jasper watched them unwrap their gifts and listened to
+Betty's exclamations of delight, a slight feeling of jealousy stole
+into his heart.  He was the only one there beyond the orbit of Lois'
+circle of remembrance.  He was well aware that he had no reason to
+expect anything, and yet how much any little token would have meant to
+him, for it would have told him that she had not forgotten him.
+
+"Wasn't it kind of Miss Lois to send these lovely presents," Betty
+exclaimed, after she had examined everything most carefully.  "And
+there's something for you, too, Mr. Jasper," she added.  "I kept it
+till the last," and a merry twinkle shone in her eyes as she handed him
+a neatly-tied package.
+
+"Why, who sent me this?" Jasper asked in surprise.
+
+"Miss Lois, of course.  She knew that you would be here to-day, and she
+asked me to give it to you when you came.  This tree is her idea, you
+see.  We would never have thought about it but for her.  Isn't she
+great!"
+
+Jasper took the package in his hands and held it there like a big
+awkward school boy.  He could not trust himself to speak lest he should
+betray his feelings.  He longed to be away in the quietness of his own
+cabin that he might open his treasure and that no eyes but his might
+look upon the gift.  But Betty knew nothing of such thoughts.
+
+"Open it, Mr. Jasper," she ordered, "I know you'll be surprised."
+
+Slowly and carefully Jasper untied the red ribbon and opened out the
+paper wrapping.  As he did so there came forth a grey woollen
+well-knitted muffler.
+
+"Isn't it lovely!" Betty exclaimed as Jasper stood holding it in his
+hands staring hard upon it.  "And I saw Miss Lois begin it herself just
+before she left for the city.  She asked me what I thought you would
+like for a Christmas present, and I told her that you should have a
+muffler to keep your throat warm on cold days.  She thought maybe you
+would rather have a book, but when I told her that you could buy books,
+but not a muffler like she could make, she said that perhaps I was
+right.  Let me see what it looks like on you, for I must write and tell
+her all about it."
+
+Before this torrent of words Jasper was as helpless as a child.  He
+allowed Betty to unfold the muffler and wrap it carefully about his
+neck.
+
+"There, isn't that fine, Mrs. Peterson?" she asked.  "Mr. Jasper won't
+get cold now in his throat, will he?"
+
+"I have never worn such a thing in my life," Jasper managed to explain.
+"What shall I do with it?  I couldn't wear that in the woods."
+
+"Oh, but you might need it, Mr. Jasper," Betty insisted.  "Anyway, if
+you don't wear it Miss Lois will be so disappointed.  She knit every
+bit of it with her own fingers, for she told me so.  You should wear it
+because of that if for no other reason."
+
+Jasper made no reply, but taking off the muffler folded it up and laid
+it upon the table.  In fact, he hardly knew what he was doing so full
+of happiness was his heart.  It was fortunate that just then Mrs.
+Peterson announced that breakfast was ready, for it changed the topic
+of conversation and gave him time to think it all over.
+
+What a day that was at the Haven!  There were so many things to talk
+about and such a number of questions to be asked and answered that the
+time sped by all too quickly.  David was in excellent spirits, for he
+learned of the progress the men were making in the woods.  Jasper
+heard, as well, about Lois, and Betty showed him several letters she
+had received from her.  In every one she told of her longing for the
+spring that she might return to Creekdale.
+
+When Jasper left the Haven he noticed how the weather had changed.  The
+brightness of the day had passed and the sky was a mackerel grey.  The
+wind, drifting in from the northeast, hummed a weird prelude to the
+coming storm upon the telephone wires stretched along the road.
+
+The journey to the station was a pleasant one, for Pedro, after his
+rest, swung along at a swift clip.  The wind was in their backs and the
+snow had not begun to fall.  Jasper realised that the storm would not
+hold off much longer, and he wondered how the nurse would mind facing
+it for fifteen miles to Mrs. Bean's.  The muffler that Lois had given
+him he was wearing.  Betty had put it there before he left the Haven
+with the strict instruction to wear it, because if he didn't Miss Lois
+would feel badly.  Never had he received any present which he valued
+more highly than this.  And to think that Lois made it herself,
+especially for him, and that it had been so often in her hands.  He was
+almost like a man beside himself as he thought of this, and several
+times his lips pressed the muffler in the fervency of his emotion.
+
+Reaching the station he had half an hour to spare before the train
+would arrive.  This gave him an opportunity to give Pedro a feed of
+oats in a nearby stable, for he well knew that a severe battle was
+ahead of him.  Already the storm had set in, gentle at first but
+increasing in intensity as the afternoon waned.  It was snowing hard by
+the time the train surged up to the station, and as Jasper waited for
+the passengers to alight he wondered whether it would be advisable to
+face the tempest on such a night and in the teeth of so furious a storm.
+
+As the passengers came forth what was his surprise to see not a
+stranger as he had expected but Lois Sinclair.  Scarcely had she
+stepped upon the platform ere Jasper hurried forward.  Her face
+brightened when she saw him and she reached out her gloved hand.
+
+"How is my father?" was her first question.  "I have been so uneasy
+about him."
+
+As they walked along the platform Jasper told her all he could about
+the sick man, and how the doctor was staying with him, to assist Mrs.
+Bean until the nurse arrived.
+
+"I little expected to see you," he added, "I am afraid it will be a
+terrible drive in the face of this storm.  But if we wait until morning
+the roads will be so blocked that we may not be able to get there for
+several days."
+
+"Let us go to-night," Lois replied.  "I can stand the storm, but it is
+a great pity to give you so much trouble.  How far is it?"
+
+"About fifteen miles.  You get good and warm in the waiting-room while
+I go for Pedro.  Wrap yourself up well before we start."
+
+In about a quarter of an hour they had left the station and Pedro was
+speeding up the road with long swinging strides.  So far but little
+snow had fallen to interfere with the travelling, and they made
+excellent progress.  But after they had been on the way for about an
+hour Pedro was forced to slow down and walk most of the time.  Drifts
+were forming across the road and the snow was blinding.  At times they
+obtained considerable shelter from stretches of woods they passed
+through.  But out in the open the tempest struck them with full force,
+blotting out everything from view.
+
+But notwithstanding the discomforts of the journey, Jasper was
+supremely happy.  For a few brief hours this beautiful woman by his
+side was his, and he was her guide and protector.  The unexpected had
+happened and come what might he would always look back upon this drive
+as one of the happiest times in his life.
+
+Lois, too, enjoyed the drive.  She was content to sit there and to feel
+Jasper's strength by her side, as he guided Pedro through the night.
+Owing to the storm there was very little conversation.  But it was not
+necessary.  They were happy in each other's presence and words were not
+needed.
+
+The farther they went the heavier became the roads and the more violent
+the storm.  It was cold as well, and once a shiver shook Lois' body,
+which Jasper was quick to notice.
+
+"Are you cold?" he asked.  "I have an extra rug.  Let me wrap it around
+you."
+
+Carefully as if she had been a child, Jasper placed the rug about Lois'
+shoulders and over her head.  Then, taking off the precious muffler he
+folded it about her body in such a way as to hold the rug in place and
+thus form a complete shelter from the driving storm.  This
+accomplished, he reached over and drew the sleigh-robe around her body.
+It was but natural that his arm should remain around her for a while
+that the robe might be kept in place.  Their heads, too, drew closer
+together.  Perhaps it was the storm which caused this movement, for it
+was difficult to face the tempest.  It was merely an incident in their
+young lives, and yet it caused their hearts to beat faster and their
+faces to flush, the memory of which they would ever cherish.  How easy
+then it would have been for Jasper to give voice to the promptings of
+his heart.  He felt that Lois cared for him and would respond to his
+love.  But just when he might have spoken Pedro plunged into the ditch,
+and it took all of his master's attention to get him back on the road
+without upsetting the sleigh.
+
+"We nearly went over that time," Jasper remarked.  Then they both
+laughed.  Why they did so they alone knew.  But from that moment they
+understood each other better than ever before.
+
+It was a hard struggle Pedro put up that night as mile after mile he
+crept onward.  The froth flew from his champing mouth and the vapour
+rose from his steaming body.  The footing was uncertain, the snow deep,
+and the driving storm almost blinded him.  But never for an instant did
+he hesitate or show the least sign of discouragement.  He seemed to
+realise how much depended upon his exertions this night, and he felt
+bound to do his utmost.  His master held the reins and in his judgment
+he had perfect confidence, and for him he would have expended the last
+ounce of his marvellous strength.  Nevertheless, his eyes brightened
+and his weary steps quickened when at length he saw the lights from
+Mrs. Bean's house struggling faintly through the night.  With a sudden
+spurt he dashed through the gateway and surged proudly up to the door
+like a hero who had fought a hard battle and had won.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+DEVELOPMENTS
+
+Lois was destined to remain at Mrs. Bean's during January and February.
+She camped, as she called it, in the room next to the small one
+occupied by her father, and thus she was always near to wait upon him
+day or night.  Mr. Sinclair's recovery was slow, and at first the
+doctor almost despaired of his life.  It was a bad case of pneumonia
+brought on by his becoming over-heated while walking along the cut-out,
+and then getting chilled to the bone lying on the snow.  To Lois it was
+a most anxious time, and during the first two weeks she seldom went out
+of the house.  When at last her father was able to be left alone for a
+while she spent an hour or so out of doors with Dora and Stephen.
+
+It was a wonderful winter to the Bean family.  Never before had Mrs.
+Bean known what it was to be free from the oppressing spectre of want.
+No longer was she forced to worry about household supplies; neither was
+it necessary for Steve to go to the store each week with his basket of
+eggs and a few rolls of butter.  He carried, instead, an order from
+Lois, and Andy Forbes was only too willing to deliver the goods in
+person instead of letting Steve carry them as hitherto.  Jimmy was
+working in the woods with Jasper, and every Saturday night he brought
+his wages home to his mother.  Thus the Bean household was well
+supplied with sufficient food and the widow's heart was made glad.
+
+To some city people the life in a country house, especially in the
+winter time, would have been very lonely and trying.  But with Lois it
+was different.  She thoroughly enjoyed the change, and as soon as she
+was able to leave her father alone for a few hours she would spend the
+time out of doors with Dora and Stephen.  To them she was a marvellous
+woman, and they fairly worshipped her.  What fun they had coasting down
+the big hill over the firm crust, and what snow-houses they made when
+the snow could be packed and moulded into any shape.  But to Lois the
+best enjoyment of all was to accompany Steve on his rounds to his
+rabbit snares.  The forest was a revelation to her.  She knew it well
+in summer, but nothing about its winter moods, such as the weird
+silence of a frosty morning, broken only at times by the pistol-like
+report from a distant tree.  It startled her at first, and she stood
+spell-bound listening to its reverberation up and down the long woody
+reaches.
+
+"The frost does that," Steve explained.  "I've heard our house do the
+same thing on a cold night.  Ma says it's drawin' the nails."
+
+Lois liked the woods best when a stiff wind was abroad.  She enjoyed
+hearing it roaring overhead, bending and twisting the tops of the
+pointed trees.  The forest then seemed to be alive, and not so
+inanimate as on a cold frosty morning.  It was more companionable in
+such a mood, and it seemed to her like a wonderful organ with all the
+stops out under the control of some mighty unseen master.  It was a
+pleasure to her to stand and listen to the varying sounds.  But Steve
+and Dora knew nothing of such feelings and kept her constantly on the
+move.  The tracks of the rabbits or those of a fox thrilled them far
+more than Nature's mysterious melodies.
+
+It was a Saturday afternoon such as this that Lois was with Steve and
+Dora on their regular rounds.  They led her this day farther than usual
+to some new snares that Steve had set.  At length they came out upon
+the trail leading from Mrs. Bean's to the falls, travelled chiefly by
+Jimmy.  Lois was standing on the path with Dora by her side waiting
+until Steve had set one more snare in a good place he had spied.  She
+presented a picture of perfect health and beauty as she stood there,
+with the rich blood mantling her face.  Jasper was sure that he had
+never seen any one so lovely as he appeared suddenly in sight around a
+bend in the trail.  He was walking fast with an axe over his shoulder,
+but he stopped in his tracks when he saw Lois before him.  At first he
+was half tempted to turn back, lest his presence might not be desired.
+He did not wish to have the appearance of spying upon those before him.
+But before he had time to decide, Dora saw him.
+
+"Oh, look," she cried, "there is Mr. Jasper."
+
+Startled more than was her wont, Lois quickly turned and her eyes
+rested upon the young man who was now hastening forward.
+
+"Pardon me," Jasper began, "I am so sorry that I have frightened you."
+
+"Oh, it is not as bad as that," Lois replied with a smile.  "I was not
+frightened, only startled.  Anyway, we are glad to see you, for you
+have deserted us of late."
+
+"It was not my fault, I assure you," Jasper explained.  "We have been
+so busy that I have had no time to come, though I sent Jimmy often, to
+enquire about your father.  I have had to go to the city every Saturday
+since I saw you last and never got back until late Sunday night.  The
+company is pushing us hard, and now that the portable saw-mill has
+arrived there is no let-up.  To-day I was cruising the woods for some
+special trees the company wants, and as I came so near I made up my
+mind to drop in and see for myself how you are all making out."
+
+"And you will come and have tea with us?" Lois asked.
+
+"Yes, if I shall not be in the way.  It will be a great change for me."
+
+"We shall be delighted to have you, and I know my father will be
+pleased to see you, for he gets so lonely at times.  He is sitting up
+now, and likes to have some one to talk to.  He has changed a great
+deal since his illness."
+
+By this time Steve had finished setting his snare, and then they all
+started homeward.  It was quite an event to have a visitor, so Dora and
+Steve rushed on ahead to tell their mother to set an extra place "fer
+company."  Lois and Jasper had no inclination to hurry.  Their hearts
+were happy in each other's company, and they walked slowly along the
+trail not talking about anything in particular, and laughing when there
+was really nothing to laugh about.
+
+Mr. Sinclair was sitting in a big, cosy chair before the fire as Lois
+and Jasper entered the room.  Notwithstanding the change that had come
+over him and his desire for conversation, he looked upon his visitor
+with a reserved suspicion.
+
+"You belong to that new company, eh?" he questioned.
+
+"Only as an employee," Jasper replied.  "I am merely working for wages."
+
+"H'm, is that so?  I thought you had an interest in the concern."
+
+"In a way I have.  I am interested in getting out as many logs and
+poles as I can this winter.  But apart from that I am nothing as far as
+the company goes."
+
+"But you know all about their plans, I suppose, and what they intend to
+do?"
+
+"Oh, yes, I naturally understand that they intend to supply light and
+power to the city and the surrounding country, but further than that I
+know nothing."
+
+"Don't you know who compose the company?"
+
+"No, I have not the least idea."
+
+"Well, that's queer," and Sinclair shifted uneasily in his chair.
+"Perhaps you can tell me, though, where Crazy David comes in?  He seems
+to be somewhat connected with the whole affair."
+
+"He supplied the plans, so I believe.  They paid him, and made him
+Honorary President of the company."
+
+"And so that's all you know about it?"
+
+"Certainly.  The whole affair is as much of a mystery to me as it is to
+you."
+
+"Confound it all!" and Sinclair stamped his right foot upon the floor.
+"I'd like to know what's coming over people, anyway.  Things are
+getting so mysterious these days that I'm about crazy trying to puzzle
+matters out."
+
+"Don't try, father, dear," Lois soothed, placing her arms about his
+neck.  "You must not make yourself worse by worrying over such things
+now.  Supper is all ready, and Mrs. Bean is waiting for us, so let us
+forget all about such matters for the present."
+
+Jasper stayed for a while that evening, and before leaving he made
+arrangements with Lois to take her to church in the morning, and then
+they would stop at the Haven for dinner.  That was the beginning of a
+most delightful time for Lois and Jasper.  Every fine Sunday he called
+for her, and pleasant were the drives they had together.
+
+When Mr. Sinclair was well enough he moved with his daughter into his
+own house.  Lois and Betty had spent several days getting it in order
+and thoroughly warmed.  It was really a comfort to be here, and for the
+first time he expressed his pleasure to Lois.
+
+"This is a comfort," and he gave a sigh of relief as he sat in a big
+chair before a bright open fire.  "How large and roomy this house seems
+after living for so long at Mrs. Bean's.  But she was good to us and I
+hope you sent her that money."
+
+"For the logs on her place?" Lois asked.
+
+"Yes.  I made out a cheque the night I took ill, but she never got it.
+This new one is larger and will somewhat pay her for the trouble we
+have been to her as well as for the logs."
+
+"I mailed it to-day, father, and Mrs. Bean should get it to-morrow."
+
+"That is good.  I feel more contented now.  But, see here, Lois, you
+will be very lonely now with only me to talk to.  Isn't there any one
+who could come and visit us for a while?  It might brighten us both up."
+
+"I expect Margaret," Lois replied.  "She said she would be delighted to
+come as soon as we moved into our own house.  Dick, you know, will
+bring her in the car just as soon as the roads are settled.  It will be
+so nice to have her."
+
+"Do you think Mr. Randall will forsake us now?" Mr. Sinclair asked.
+
+"Why, what makes you think that he will?" Lois replied.
+
+"I was afraid he might, that's all.  I like that young man.  But he has
+peculiar ideas, and will not go where he thinks he is not wanted."
+
+Lois did not reply to these words.  She was sitting by her father's
+side sewing, and she went on calmly with her work.  But she was
+thinking of the great change that had come over her father since his
+illness.  He was so gentle and considerate, and was more companionable
+than she had ever known him to be.  It caused her great joy of heart,
+and she was so thankful now that she had not left him when he had made
+life so miserable for her.  She was thankful as well that he liked
+Jasper and welcomed his visits to the house.  She, too, had wondered if
+he would come as often as he did to Mrs. Bean's.  When Margaret arrived
+he might think that he was not needed and would stay away.
+
+Jasper, however, did not stay away.  He came as often as before, even
+after Margaret arrived.  He now believed that Lois cared for him and
+looked forward with pleasure to his visits.  Never before had the
+Sundays seemed so far apart.  She was his inspiration in all that he
+did and she was ever in his mind throughout the week.  How delightful
+it was to listen to her playing upon the piano, and then when she and
+Margaret sang, as they did so well together, it seemed to him as if
+heaven had opened and poured upon him its greatest joys.  His past
+trials were all forgotten, and he did not worry about the future.
+
+One balmy spring Sunday evening they were all gathered around the piano
+as usual singing several of their favourite hymns.  Lois was playing,
+and the soft light from the shaded lamp fell upon her face.  Jasper
+standing near thought he had never seen her look so beautiful.  It
+seemed to him that her face was almost radiant and her eyes glowed with
+an intense light of holy fervour.  Everything in that room spoke of
+peace and harmony.  The singers were happy in one another's company,
+and no worry troubled them.
+
+As they sang, the shades of night deepened over the land and brighter
+the light seemed to shine through the large window facing westward.  A
+man standing just outside watched all that was going on within the
+room.  He had approached cautiously and now stood back far enough from
+the window that he might not be observed should any one happen to look
+in his direction.  To all outward appearance he might have been drawn
+there out of mere curiosity or by the sound of the music.  His lean,
+smooth-shaven face betrayed nothing, and his steel-grey eyes which
+rested alternately upon Jasper and the fair young player were
+expressionless.  Well it was for Lois' peace of mind that she did not
+see that face out there in the night, for it was the same face which
+had been haunting her for months.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+
+BUSINESS DETAILS
+
+As spring drew near David became anxious for more definite news about
+the work at the falls.  He knew what Jasper and his men were doing and
+how the portable mill was busy sawing the logs which had been hauled
+out.  But he was impatient to see what he called "the real beginning."
+It was, therefore, with considerable satisfaction when at last the
+great start was made.  As the weeks passed word reached him of what was
+going on.  He had not yet visited the falls as he did not feel equal to
+the walk.  But he listened eagerly to all that was told him.  The
+reports were truly marvellous of the large number of men engaged upon
+the "Plant," of the activity at Creekdale and all up the brook.  In a
+few weeks the whole place had been converted into a hive of bustling
+industry.  It seemed as if a magic wand had been suddenly waved over
+the place to produce such an astonishing change.
+
+In addition to this there were men working between the city and
+Creekdale as well as along the road leading up-river, putting large
+poles in place for the electric wires.  These poles had been run down
+the brook and then floated to various places along the river.  In this
+way the work was facilitated.  Everything had been well planned, and it
+seemed as if nothing had been overlooked.  Though David could not visit
+the falls, yet he and Betty often sat by the road and watched the
+workmen as they dug the deep holes, erected the poles and strung the
+wires.
+
+One beautiful morning as they came to the road, they saw a man not far
+off busily sketching a clump of white birch trees a short distance
+away.  So intent was he upon his work that he did not appear to notice
+the two who were watching him with undisguised curiosity.
+
+"Who is he?" David whispered, fearful lest he should disturb the man.
+
+"He must be that artist who came yesterday," Betty replied.  "He has a
+little tent over there," and she pointed to the right.  "I saw him
+fixing it up yesterday and it looks so cosy.  He spoke to me as I came
+by and seemed to be very friendly."
+
+"And you say that he is an artist?" David enquired.
+
+"Yes.  Don't you see him painting now?  He told me that he wants to get
+some pictures of this beautiful place."
+
+"He must see the falls, girl," and David rose from his sitting
+position.  "There is nothing here to equal it, and how nice it would be
+to have a picture before too great a change takes place up there."
+
+"Suppose we tell him about it," Betty suggested, now much interested in
+the idea.  "Come, I will introduce you."
+
+As the two approached, the artist rose to his feet and lifted his hat.
+
+"Why, it's my little visitor of yesterday," he pleasantly remarked.  "I
+didn't expect to meet you so soon again.  Is this your grandfather?"
+
+"Oh, no," and Betty laughed heartily.  "This is Mr. David, and I am
+looking after him."
+
+"I am glad to meet you, sir," and the stranger held out his hand.  "I
+have only arrived lately and of course do not know any of the people
+here, so you will pardon my mistake."
+
+"It doesn't matter, I assure you," David replied.  "Betty is really a
+daughter to me, so it was no mistake after all.  But I hope we have not
+interrupted you."
+
+"Not at all.  I am not doing much this morning, just getting my
+bearings, as it were.  But you have a wonderful view from this hill.  I
+am hoping to get some excellent pictures.  I wish I had known of this
+beautiful spot before."
+
+"Wait until you see the falls," David eagerly replied.  "You will find
+something worth while there."
+
+"Is it far from here?" the artist enquired.
+
+"Oh, no.  You can easily find it.  There is a good road there now which
+has been made by the new company."
+
+"Is that the place where the light and power are to come from, of which
+I have heard so much?"
+
+"So you have heard of it then?  I am very glad."  There was a pleased
+expression in David's eyes.  It gave him much satisfaction to know that
+the news of what was being done at the falls had extended beyond
+Creekdale.
+
+"Oh, yes, every one has heard about the great undertaking which is
+going on at Break Neck Falls," the artist replied.  "I have read much
+about it in the city papers, and only recently there was a long article
+describing certain phases of the work and what would be accomplished.
+I have the paper with me.  Here it is, if you care to read it," and the
+artist drew from his pocket a carefully-folded newspaper, and handed it
+to the old man.
+
+With much eagerness David took it in his hands, unfolded it and ran his
+eyes quickly over the article with the big headlines, "A Gigantic
+Undertaking."  Betty stepped close to his side and began to read as
+well.  Her animated face and sparkling eyes showed plainly the keen
+interest she took in the whole affair, and several times she gave
+expression to exclamations of delight.
+
+"Isn't it great!" she cried, when she had finished.  "And what a lot
+they tell about you, Mr. David, and how you had that thing in your head
+for so long when you were very poor."
+
+"Yes, girl," David replied, "and did you notice what is said about the
+benefit it will be to the city and the whole country?"
+
+In their intense excitement they had forgotten all about the artist.
+But as they talked like two happy children he was watching them very
+closely, especially the old man.  In his eyes there was a peculiar
+half-gloating expression, while a partly-suppressed sinister smile
+lurked about the corners of his mouth.
+
+"May we show this paper to Miss Lois?" Betty asked, turning suddenly
+toward the artist.  As she did so, she started, for intuitively she saw
+something in the man's face which frightened her.  Whatever it was, it
+instantly dispelled the happiness which possessed her.  The artist
+noticed this, and it annoyed him.  He shrugged his shoulder and gave a
+short laugh.
+
+"Yes, you may keep the paper," he said.  "I am through with it.  But I
+must get on with my work now."
+
+They stood and watched him as he walked away carrying with him his
+easel and camp-stool.
+
+"I am afraid of him," Betty whispered to her companion.  Then she
+shivered as if cold.
+
+"Why, what's the matter?" David asked in surprise.  "What makes you
+afraid of that man?  He is only a harmless artist, and he was very kind
+to us this morning.  I feel most grateful for the paper he has given
+us."
+
+"I know that, but I don't want to see him again," the girl replied.  "I
+saw something in his eyes which I don't like.  I can't explain it, but
+it makes me afraid of him.  I hope he will go away soon."
+
+"Tut, girl, that is all nonsense," David chided.  "It is just a notion
+on your part.  I like him well enough for a stranger.  What harm can he
+do us?"
+
+During the rest of the morning Betty could not get clear of the feeling
+of fear which possessed her, and David worried much over her unusual
+silence.  She longed to see Lois that she might talk it all over with
+her.  In fact she had her mind made up to visit her that afternoon when
+an unlooked-for excitement changed the entire current of her thoughts,
+and put the artist out of her mind for the rest of the day.
+
+It was just after dinner when the captain and David were out upon the
+verandah enjoying their pipes, when a big car lurched up and stopped in
+front of the house.  To David's surprise he saw Mr. Westcote alight and
+come up the verandah steps.  He at once rose to meet him.
+
+"I have come to give you a ride in my car," Mr. Westcote informed
+David, after he had been introduced to the captain, and had handed him
+a cigar.  "It is a pity to take you from such a beautiful place as
+this," and he cast his eyes over the sloping fields before him.  "But,
+I would like for you to come with me to the city to-day.  It is a
+matter of business, that is, some details which should have been
+attended to before."
+
+"Has it anything to do with the falls?" David enquired.
+
+"Yes, everything centres there," and Mr. Westcote smiled.  "This affair
+is really important or I should not bother you to-day."
+
+"I can be ready in a short time," David replied.  He was eager now to
+be away, and the thought that he was needed and was in some way
+necessary to the working out of the plans at the falls gave him great
+pleasure.
+
+In little less than half an hour the car left the Haven and sped
+rapidly down the road.  David enjoyed the ride, and leaned back
+comfortably in the soft springy seat.
+
+"You should have a car, sir," Mr. Westcote remarked as he noted how
+David liked the drive.  "It would do you so much good to have a spin
+every day."
+
+"Why, I never thought of it," was the reply.  "But I would not know how
+to handle a car if I did have one.  And besides, it would cost a great
+deal."
+
+"Oh, you could easily overcome such difficulties.  You are a rich man,
+you know, and could afford to buy a good car and keep a chauffeur to
+drive it for you.  You have not spent all of that money you received,
+have you?"
+
+"No, no; only a very small portion of it.  You see, Betty and I live
+very quietly, and spend but little.  We are planning to build a
+comfortable house of our own some day.  We keep putting it off, though,
+as we are so happy at the Haven with the captain and Mrs. Peterson."
+
+Nothing more was said about this subject during the rest of the ride,
+and in about an hour and a half they reached the city and drew up
+before a large building on one of the business streets.  When once
+inside David looked around with much interest upon the busy scenes
+which met his eyes.
+
+"This is our main office," Mr. Westcote explained, "and we keep quite a
+staff.  As the work develops it will be necessary to have a building of
+our own, for we have only the ground floor here.  This is my private
+office," and he motioned to a door on the right.  "We will be more
+quiet there."
+
+David was greatly delighted at all he saw, and he could not restrain
+the feeling of pride that he was the cause of all this activity.  Not
+the slightest surprise entered his mind at what he observed.  There was
+not even the least shadow of mystery about it all.  To him it was but
+natural that things should be as they were.  He doubted nothing; he
+asked no questions.  His plan was so great and reasonable that he
+accepted everything as a matter of course.
+
+"You have perhaps wondered," Mr. Westcote began, after they were
+seated, "why I have brought you here to-day.  I told you that it is a
+matter of business details, and so it is.  You are Honorary President
+of our company and, accordingly, you are a large share-holder.  You
+were not aware of that before, and I trust you do not mind our keeping
+it a secret?"
+
+"No, no; not at all," David replied.  "Everything is satisfactory to
+me."
+
+"That is good," Mr. Westcote continued.  "But as you have such a large
+interest in the company, it is necessary that you should have your will
+made to save complications in the future.  Life is uncertain, you know,
+and if anything should happen to you it would make it very difficult
+for us if you did not have your business matters attended to."
+
+"Quite right, quite right," David assented.  "I have thought about it
+somewhat of late, and I am very glad that you have mentioned it.  Could
+we not have the business attended to at once?  It will not take long,
+will it?"
+
+"No, it can soon be done," was the reply.  "But first of all it will be
+necessary for you to state in whose favour you wish to make your will.
+Then we can have the papers drawn up, and you can sign them before you,
+leave the city."
+
+"Yes, that will be necessary," and David placed his right hand to his
+forehead in a thoughtful manner.  "I have been thinking that all over,
+and know the ones to whom I wish to leave my principal share in the
+falls.  You see, I want to have people who will take a keen interest in
+the undertaking, such as I have, and who will be able to continue the
+work when I am gone."
+
+"You are quite right," Mr. Westcote replied, though it was evident that
+he with difficulty repressed a smile of amusement at his companion's
+words.
+
+"But I am somewhat worried about the others," David continued.  "I wish
+to leave something to my faithful girl, Betty Bean, to her mother, who
+is a widow, and to Captain Peterson and his wife, for they have a hard
+struggle to make a living.  Now, they are the ones I wish to help as
+far as I can, but I have no idea what I ought to leave them."
+
+"How much would you like for them to have?" Mr. Westcote enquired.
+
+"Well, it would be nice if they could have a thousand each.  That would
+make them so comfortable.  But I am afraid such an amount is out of the
+question."
+
+"Not at all," was the reply.  "You name the amount, and we shall put it
+in the will.  You see," he added, as if it were an afterthought, "the
+falls will be good for that, and perhaps more, even after you have
+arranged for the others."
+
+"I am pleased to hear you express such confidence in the undertaking,"
+and David looked into his companion's face.  "I little realised that it
+would pay so well in such a short time.  I am very grateful to you for
+what you have done."
+
+"It will pay you regularly," Mr. Westcote replied.  "I may as well tell
+you that this is one of the most remarkable companies ever formed.
+Will you now mention the names of the principal ones to whom you wish
+to leave the rest of your interest?"
+
+"There are only two, but I have such unlimited confidence in them that
+I feel I am making no mistake.  You know them both for they are Jasper
+Randall, the young foreman, and Miss Lois Sinclair."
+
+"Have you no relatives?" Mr. Westcote asked, concealing his surprise as
+much as possible.  "If you have, would it not be well to remember them
+in your will?"
+
+"I desire that all I possess in this world should go to the ones I have
+mentioned," David slowly replied.  "We will not talk about relatives,
+please."
+
+"Just as you say," Mr. Westcote assented, as he rose to his feet.  "I
+shall have the papers drawn up at once.  In the meantime, you had
+better come and stay with me.  You will need a good rest after your
+trip."
+
+It was late in the afternoon the next day before the work upon the will
+was completed.  It was quite an elaborate affair, so David thought, and
+he had to study it carefully before signing it.  When at last all was
+finished, the car was waiting before the office to carry them back to
+Creekdale.
+
+"I am going with you," Mr. Westcote remarked as he took his seat by
+David's side.  "I want to see that you get safely home.  And besides,"
+he added, "I wish to learn how the work is getting along up there.  I
+have just been telephoning to Mr. Randall, and his report is most
+encouraging."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI
+
+HARNESSED POWER
+
+It was dark by the time they drew near to Creekdale, and as the car
+rounded a bend in the road David was astonished at the sight which met
+his eyes.  The entire way was brilliantly illuminated by hundreds of
+electric lights strung along both sides of the road.
+
+David started, sat bolt upright, and clutched his companion by the arm.
+
+"What is this?" he demanded in a hoarse whisper.  "Where are we,
+anyway?  I thought you were bringing me home."
+
+"So I am," Mr. Westcote laughingly replied.  "We are at Creekdale now.
+This is the work of your beloved falls.  Are you satisfied?"
+
+"Oh!"  It was all that the old man could say.  He leaned back in his
+seat and a sigh of relief escaped his lips.  It was quite evident that
+he was strongly moved by what he saw.
+
+Slowly the car moved up the great white way, and at last turned into
+the gate leading to the Haven.  Two large lights had been placed on the
+gate post, and these shed forth their bright light upon all sides.  It
+was a marvellous transformation which had been made in such a short
+time.  David could not utter a word, so overcome was he.  Even when he
+saw the house ablaze with many lights and the verandah as bright as
+day, and observed the people there waiting to welcome him home, he
+seemed like one in a dream.  It was only when Betty danced about him
+and caught both of his hands in hers, that he aroused from his
+stupefaction.
+
+"What's the matter, Mr. David?" she cried.  "Why don't you speak to me,
+and tell me how you like it all?"
+
+"It is wonderful!" and the old man placed his hand to his forehead, as
+he always did when greatly affected or puzzled.  "Who did all this?"
+
+"It was done for you, Mr. David," the girl explained.  "My, we have had
+a lively time here since you left!"
+
+"And was that the reason why I was taken to the city yesterday?" David
+asked, while a new light of comprehension dawned upon his mind.  "You
+knew all about this, did you?"
+
+"Oh, no, I didn't know a thing," Betty protested.  "But just as soon as
+you got away Mr. Jasper and a whole crowd of men began to work, and
+they have been just hustling ever since.  Isn't it lovely!  And to
+think that it was in your brain all the time!"
+
+"This is very gratifying, sir," and David turned to Jasper, who was
+standing by listening with great interest to the conversation between
+the girl and the old man.  "I can hardly believe what I see.  I had no
+idea that you had made such progress at the falls.  It will be
+necessary for me to go and see the works for myself."
+
+"We have a great deal more to do yet, I assure you," Jasper replied.
+"We have merely begun.  We planned this little surprise for your
+special benefit.  We wished that you should be the first one to be
+honoured.  But we have something more to show you, which, no doubt,
+will surprise you.  If you will come with me I will show you what it
+is."
+
+Leading the way, he conducted them through the kitchen and into an
+adjoining room used partly as a wood-house and also as a wash room.
+Each place was brilliantly lighted by means of several electric lamps.
+He stopped at last before a cream-separator which was new and recently
+installed.  Touching a switch, there was a sudden whirring sound, and
+the machine began to revolve, slowly at first, but gaining rapidly in
+speed until it was fairly spinning.  After it had been running for a
+few minutes Jasper turned off the current, and then stood watching the
+separator until its movements ceased.
+
+He next moved across the room to where stood a churn.  Again placing
+his finger upon another switch the churn began to revolve.
+
+During all this time David's eyes were ablaze with joy as he watched
+all that was taking place.
+
+"It is wonderful!" he remarked.  "How have you managed to arrange
+everything in such a short time?  It seems almost magical."
+
+"Oh, we had everything all ready," Jasper laughingly replied.  "And
+just as soon as we got you away we merely had to put the machinery into
+place.  But here is something else," and he turned to the left.  "This
+is a wood-cutting machine, and all you have to do is to turn on the
+current, so," and he touched a switch, "and behold, your saw is all
+ready for use.  Watch this," he added, picking up a stick, which in an
+instant was severed in two.  "That is the way the farmers will cut
+their wood.  You have thus seen some of the things your falls will do.
+But there are others we cannot show here, which will revolutionise the
+entire country."
+
+Scarcely had he ended when Lois entered and stood watching the
+revolving saw.  Jasper was the first to see her, and he noticed that
+her face was paler than usual and that she seemed to be trembling.
+
+"I am sorry that I am late," she apologised.  "I was planning to be
+here to see these wonderful things, but I was delayed."
+
+"But you can see them all now, Miss Sinclair," David eagerly replied.
+"Look at the lights along the road and in the house, and the way these
+machines run.  Isn't it wonderful?  My visions have come true at last,
+and my beautiful falls have done it."
+
+Jasper was anxious to know what was troubling Lois.  Although she
+talked and laughed and seemed to be the gayest one there, it was quite
+evident to him that she was merely acting the part.  When she had
+stayed for about half an hour she spoke to Jasper privately and asked
+him to accompany her home.
+
+"I wish to speak to you about something," she told him.
+
+Jasper was delighted, and after they had said good-night to the rest
+they walked slowly down the lighted lane toward the main road.
+
+"This is like fairyland," Lois remarked.  "I never expected to see
+anything like this."
+
+"It was done for David's sake," Jasper replied.  "And wasn't he
+surprised and delighted?  I think I was as much excited as he was."
+
+"Have you any idea why the company should do all this for his sake?"
+Lois enquired.  "Who is he, anyway?"
+
+"I have not the slightest idea," was the reply.  "Everything has been a
+profound mystery to me from the beginning.  There is something most
+interesting back of it all, mark my word.  Mr. Westcote evidently
+knows, but he has never enlightened me.  Perhaps his daughter knows
+something."
+
+"If she does she has never told me.  Sometimes I think she knows, but
+is not at liberty to speak.  Oh, what's that?" and Lois gave a sudden
+start.  "I thought I heard something among the trees.  But I guess it
+was nothing, only my nerves," and she gave a slight laugh.
+
+"Perhaps it was merely some animal," Jasper suggested.  "It may have
+been a dog or a rabbit.  Any slight noise sounds large at night."
+
+"Let us hurry on," Lois urged.  "I am afraid that I am somewhat upset
+to-night.  I had such a start on my way to the Haven that I have not
+got over it yet."
+
+"I saw that there was something wrong with you when you came into the
+house," Jasper replied.
+
+"Did you?  I was hoping that no one noticed it."
+
+"What was the matter?"
+
+"It was a man."
+
+"Oh, was that all?  I thought that perhaps it was a bear."
+
+"But a man can be far worse than a bear, Mr. Randall.  I would not mind
+meeting a bear half as much as a brute in the form of a man."
+
+"What, did he frighten you, or try to harm you in any way?"  Jasper
+stopped short in his tracks and waited for an answer.  He was beginning
+to understand now that Lois' fright was something not to be treated
+lightly.
+
+"Oh, no," Lois hastened to explain.  "He didn't even speak to me.  But
+I saw him cross the brightly-lighted lane leading to the Haven.  He
+plunged among the trees and disappeared."
+
+"Did you know him?" Jasper asked, now much interested.
+
+"Yes.  I met him once in the city at Mrs. Dingle's party.  He is an
+English artist, Sydney Bramshaw by name, and he affected me then like a
+terrible night-mare.  I could not get him out of my mind for weeks.  I
+have never been able to explain it, and never experienced anything like
+it before."
+
+"Do you know anything about the man?" Jasper asked.
+
+"No, and that is the strange thing about it.  I had a slight
+conversation with him then and his words disgusted me.  Apart from that
+I know nothing."
+
+"It is strange," Jasper mused as if to himself.  "We sometimes do get
+queer impressions about people, do we not?"
+
+"But I never had anything like this before.  It seemed to me when I
+first saw that man that he was Satan in disguise.  A queer idea, was it
+not?  I felt that in some unaccountable way he had crossed my path for
+evil, and I have that same feeling now."
+
+They had reached the house by this time and were standing near the
+verandah steps.  It was a chilly night, and the sky was overcast with
+not a star to be seen.  A tremor shook Lois' form as she stood there.
+
+"You are cold," Jasper remarked, "and you should go in the house at
+once."
+
+"Will you come in?" Lois asked.  "It is not late and father will be
+pleased to see you."
+
+"Not to-night, thank you," Jasper replied.  "I was working nearly all
+last night at the Haven, and so must get some rest.  I am living in my
+little old cabin now, and it is really good to be there again.  It
+seems more like home to me than up the brook.  But, there, I must not
+keep you any longer or you will catch cold.  Do not worry too much
+about that man.  If he begins to trouble you, he will have to reckon
+with me."
+
+Jasper walked slowly away from the house along a path leading to the
+main road.  He was thinking seriously of what Lois had told him about
+Bramshaw.  He could not understand her strange aversion for the man,
+and he wondered if there were really anything in such a presentiment.
+He made up his mind that he would be on the lookout and if the fellow
+became the least objectionable he would deal with him then in no gentle
+manner.
+
+As Jasper drew near to the main road a feeling suddenly possessed him
+that he was being followed.  He looked back but could see nothing.
+Laughing at himself for what he considered his foolishness, he
+continued on his way.  But it was not so easy to banish the impression
+he had received, and every once in a while he glanced around as if
+expecting to see some one not far off.  Once he thought he heard the
+sound of foot-steps in the distance, and he stopped to listen but heard
+nothing more.
+
+Reaching at last the path which led to his cabin, he was about to enter
+upon this when an idea came into his mind.  It was suggested by a thick
+clump of hazel bushes by the side of the road.  As quick as thought he
+darted behind these and crouched low upon the ground.  From this
+position it was possible for him to watch the road without being
+observed.  He wished to find out whether any one was really following
+him, or if it was merely imagination on his part.
+
+He had not been there long ere he heard faint footfalls upon the road,
+which grew more distinct as he listened.  He was now sure that his
+surmises had been true, and it made him angry.  He knew that it was not
+an ordinary pedestrian, for why had he come after him along the path
+leading from the Sinclair house?  It must be some one stalking him, for
+what purpose he could not imagine.
+
+Peering forth from his concealed position Jasper was ere long able to
+see the dim form of a man slouching cautiously along, keeping well to
+the side of the road where the trees and bushes were the thickest.  He
+even brushed the hazel bushes in passing and Jasper held his breath
+lest he should be detected by his breathing.  He was sure now that the
+man had been following him with no good intentions, and his first
+inclination was to rush forward and find out what was his business.  He
+resisted, however, thinking it better to remain where he was and see
+what the night prowler would do next.
+
+Not long did he have to wait for the man, coming to the path leading
+across the fields, stopped and looked carefully around.  The dim form
+of the little cabin could be seen in the distance, and for this he at
+once started.  There were no trees now to hide him, and he started on a
+run across the open space.  Jasper, seeing this, sprang from his hiding
+place and hurried forward.  By the time he reached the path the man was
+nowhere to be seen.  He had evidently reached the cabin, and was no
+doubt at the door or listening at the window.  Jasper knew that it was
+now time for him to act and he at once bounded across the field
+straight for his cabin.  He had scarcely reached it when the prowler
+came suddenly around the corner, and the two met.  In an instant Jasper
+reached out his hand and caught the man by the shoulder and demanded
+what he was doing around his cabin at that time of the night.  With an
+angry oath, the other tried to free himself from the tightening grip,
+and when he failed to do so he struck Jasper a blow right in the face
+with the clenched fist of his right hand.
+
+"Take that, you damned fool," he growled, "and mind your own business."
+
+Jasper did not wait to argue.  In a twinkling he threw himself full
+upon the man.  His blood surged madly through his veins, for the blow
+stung him to fury.  His opponent, though he tried to put up a fight,
+was as a child in Jasper's hands, and soon he was sprawling upon the
+ground with Jasper sitting upon his body.
+
+"Now, then," the victor calmly remarked, "as you would not answer my
+question in a civil manner while standing on your feet, perhaps you
+will do it here on the ground.  And you will do it before you get up,
+remember that, so you might as well speak first as last.  Who are you,
+and why were you following me up the road and prowling so suspiciously
+around my cabin?"
+
+"I'm a stranger here," was the low reply, "and I was looking for a
+place to spend the night.  Will that satisfy you?"
+
+"No, it will not," Jasper emphatically replied.  "I believe that you
+are lying.  What is your name?"
+
+"Jim Dobbins," was the somewhat hesitating answer.  "I am seeking for
+work with the Light and Power Company and got astray."
+
+"Now, look here," and Jasper rose to his feet, "it's no use for you to
+string off such lies to me.  Your name is Sydney Bramshaw, the artist.
+I know who you are, but why you are acting this way I do not know.  So
+get up now, and clear out of this.  If I catch you at any more such
+pranks I'll break every bone in your body.  You had better mind what
+you do while in this place, and keep out of my sight after this."
+
+Without a word the prostrate man rose to his feet and stood for an
+instant as if he would speak.  He was trembling with rage, though in
+the darkness Jasper could not see the ugly expression upon his face.
+Presently he turned and glided away swiftly from the cabin, and was
+soon lost to sight.
+
+Jasper stood for a while and peered through the night.  He was almost
+tempted to follow the man to be sure that he really departed and was
+not hiding among the bushes but a short distance away.  He called
+himself a fool for letting him off so easily.  He should have kept him
+until morning to be sure that he would do no mischief under cover of
+darkness.  At length, however, he entered the cabin and threw himself
+upon his cot.  He wished to think it all over and keep awake lest the
+man should return and wreak vengeance upon him in some under-handed
+way.  He felt sure now that Lois' opinion of the man was correct, and
+that for some unaccountable reason he had a contemptible enemy to deal
+with, who would stoop to almost anything to carry out his evil designs,
+whatever they might be.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII
+
+IN THE PATH OF DESTRUCTION
+
+It was only natural that the people of Creekdale should have been
+greatly excited over the progress made at the falls.  They watched
+everything with the keenest interest which reached its highest point on
+the night of David's arrival home.  To see the road so brilliantly
+illuminated was both wonderful and puzzling.  They all knew that it was
+done for "Crazy David's sake," and they could not understand why such a
+fuss should be made over his return to the place.
+
+"It beats me," Andy Forbes remarked to a number of men gathered before
+the store.  "I'm mighty glad to have the lights there for they make
+things around here as bright as day.  But why is it done?  What has
+Crazy David got to do with it?  You would think he was a king coming
+home instead of a half-cracked old man."
+
+"But he supplied the plans, didn't he?" one of the men asked in reply.
+
+"The plans be jiggered!" and Andy gave a contemptuous toss of his head.
+"What value do you suppose were his plans?  I don't believe the company
+ever looked at them."
+
+"There must be something, though," Ned Travis replied.  "David's living
+in luxury now, and if the plans were not back of it, I'd like to know
+what is.  It isn't natural for a big company with unlimited means to
+throw away money on an old man like that just for charity."
+
+"How's Jim Goban feeling these days?" Andy asked.  "I haven't seen him
+of late."
+
+"He's a very sick man," Billy Goban answered, at which they all
+laughed.  "He curses himself every minute day and night for letting
+Crazy David out of his clutches.  He believes that if he had kept him
+he would have come in for a big share of David's good luck."
+
+"Serves him right," Andy mused as he gazed thoughtfully at the array of
+lights before him.  "He should be ashamed of himself, and so should we
+for that matter for selling that old man to the lowest bidder.  It'll
+be the last time such a thing takes place in this parish if I can help
+it, and I guess I can.  It's most degrading, and should be stopped."
+
+While the people of Creekdale were intensely aroused over the
+marvellous progress of the Light and Power Company, the world beyond
+was becoming much interested in what was taking place.  The day after
+David's arrival home the city papers devoted considerable space to the
+developments at the falls.  They told about the mysterious company and
+the old man who had supplied the plans.  They gave a most vivid account
+of the lighted way and the examples of the harnessed power at the
+Haven.  They, like the people of Creekdale, could not understand why
+such a fuss should be made over David.  They hinted that there was some
+mystery back of it all, the solving of which would be watched with
+considerable interest.
+
+But the papers had much more to say.  They spoke of the great benefit
+the city would receive from cheaper light and power, and how the new
+company would lower the rates, and perhaps force the city company out
+of business altogether.  They deemed it a day of great things when
+people would not be compelled to pay such prices as hitherto, and how
+industries of all kinds would increase and flourish.  A table of rates
+was appended showing the difference between the rates of the old
+company and the new.
+
+It was with much satisfaction that David read these accounts to the
+captain as they sat out upon the verandah.  He was a happy man that
+day, and when he was through with his reading he leaned back in his
+chair and remained silent for a long time.  The captain watched him
+somewhat curiously as he puffed away at his pipe.  Presently he took
+the pipe from his mouth and allowed it to go out, which was a most
+unusual thing for him.  He even stared at David as if he had never seen
+him before.  What his thoughts were he kept to himself, but he observed
+the old man now more closely than ever and studied his face most
+carefully.
+
+They had been sitting on the verandah for about half an hour, when
+Sydney Bramshaw strolled up to the house, with his easel under his arm.
+He looked none the worse for his experience with Jasper and was most
+affable as he accosted David, who at once introduced him to the captain.
+
+"You have a beautiful place here, sir," he remarked to the invalid.  "I
+have been fascinated with the scenery and have done considerable work
+since my arrival.  May I have the privilege of sketching this
+delightful cottage?  It will make a fine picture, I am sure."
+
+"Sketch away all you like," the captain replied.  "It is a beautiful
+spot, if I do say it, and it can't be beat anywhere."
+
+From the moment the captain had set eyes upon the artist he was sure
+that he had seen him before.  Just where it was he could not at first
+recall, but suddenly it flashed into his mind, and with it a train of
+thoughts which excited him more than was his wont.  He looked at David
+and then at the artist, and for a moment he closed his eyes as memories
+drifted upon him.  What was this man doing here? he asked himself.  He
+longed to question Bramshaw, but desisted, determined to await future
+developments.  Nevertheless, he was very quiet during the rest of the
+day, which made his wife and Betty think that he was not well.
+
+"You are not sick, are you?" Mrs. Peterson asked.
+
+"Not at all," was the reply.  "I am only thinking."
+
+"Maybe he's got something in his head just like Mr. David," Betty
+suggested.
+
+"Maybe I have, girl," the captain laughed.  "But I'm afraid the thing
+that I've got won't make as much money as his.  Where is Mr. David now?"
+
+"He's with that artist over there, watching him sketch this house.  He
+likes the man, for he talks to him so much about the falls.  I don't
+like him; his face frightens me."
+
+The captain made no reply to these words but gazed meditatively out
+over the fields long after Mrs. Peterson and Betty had left him.  He
+was trying to piece together a number of fragmentary incidents which
+were revolving in his mind, and to ascertain how they were related.
+
+"I'm sure 'twas on that trip," he muttered, "But darn it all, why can't
+I remember what he said.  He was always talking and boasting about one
+thing and another.  Hello, by jingo, I've got it!" and the captain gave
+such a whoop that both Mrs. Peterson and Betty came running from the
+kitchen to see what was the matter.
+
+"It's nothing," the captain growled, disgusted with himself for
+attracting attention when he wanted to be alone, "I was just thinking,
+that's all.  Can't a man whoop when he wants to without everybody
+rushing around him like mad?"
+
+"It all depends on what kind of a whoop it is, Robert," his wife
+replied.  "We couldn't tell whether you had gone out of your mind or
+had fallen off the verandah."
+
+"It's that thing in his brain which did it, Mrs. Peterson," Betty
+explained.  "Mr. David acted queer sometimes, though he never hollered
+out.  It must be something great, Captain," she added, "which made you
+yelp like that."
+
+"It certainly was, girl," and the captain smiled.  "I feel better now,
+though, so you women needn't worry about me."
+
+The next morning David told Betty that he had made up his mind to visit
+the falls.  He said that he wished to see for himself the wonderful
+changes which had been made there.  Betty was delighted and at once set
+to work to prepare the luncheon they were to take with them.
+
+"We'll find a nice cosy place along the brook and have a picnic there,"
+she told Mrs. Peterson.
+
+"I'm afraid there will not be many cosy places," was the reply.  "You
+must be prepared for great changes up the brook."
+
+David and Betty were like two children off for a holiday as they left
+the Haven and walked gaily down the lane toward the main highway.  It
+was a perfect morning, and the perfume of clover from the expansive
+meadows scented the air.  Birds were darting here and there or
+twittering from the branches of the trees.  A short distance from the
+road, and partly concealed, a white tent nestled among the trees,
+though no sign of the artist was to be seen.  Betty breathed a sigh of
+relief when they were past.  She did not wish to see Bramshaw, to whom
+she had taken such a violent dislike.  She wondered where he was at
+that time of the morning.  Perhaps he was still asleep, she thought,
+for she knew that he prowled about late at night.
+
+The tent was a small one, such as is generally used by campers.  It was
+in a beautiful situation, and it was so placed that it commanded an
+excellent view of the Haven and the lane leading to it.  It was a
+common occurrence for people from the city to camp along the river
+during the summer months, and people did not wonder about this one
+among the trees.  They all knew that Bramshaw was an artist of some
+note, and they felt rather pleased that he had come to Creekdale to
+obtain some pictures.
+
+"I am glad we didn't meet that artist this morning," Petty remarked
+after they had left the tent out of sight.
+
+"I cannot understand your dislike to the man," David replied.  "He has
+been so civil to us both, and he is very fond of hearing about the work
+at the falls, and how the whole community will be benefited."
+
+"I can't help it, Mr. David," and Betty twirled the sunbonnet she was
+carrying in her hand, as was often her custom.  "He may be all right,
+but I don't like him.  I wish he would go away and never come back.
+Isn't it strange how some people spoil everything?  We are so happy
+this morning because we are going to the falls together, and yet as
+soon as I think of that man I shiver.  I don't understand it at all."
+
+"You'll get over it in time, Betty," David replied.  "But, see, what a
+change they have made in our path.  Why, it's a regular road now."
+
+"I don't like it one bit," Betty protested.  "It isn't half as nice as
+it was before.  I hope they haven't touched my rock.  If they have,
+somebody's going to get a big scolding."
+
+Talking thus and passing remarks upon everything they saw, the two
+moved slowly along the newly-made road.  Several freighting teams
+passed them and the drivers looked with interest upon the old man and
+the bright-faced girl.
+
+"They all know you, Mr. David," Betty remarked.  "Did you notice how
+the men lifted their hats!"
+
+"They did it to you, girl," was the reply.  "Why should they do such a
+thing to me?"
+
+"Because you are great, that is why.  They all know of the wonderful
+thing you had in your head.  Oh!" she suddenly exclaimed, stopping
+short in her tracks.
+
+"What is the matter?" David asked.
+
+"They have taken away my rock!  Look, there are only little pieces of
+it left."
+
+"They needed it, no doubt, for the works up there, Betty.  You must not
+mind when it has been put to such good use."
+
+Betty, nevertheless, felt badly, and for a while she ceased her
+chattering and walked along quietly by her companion's side.  At length
+they came to a place where the road left the path and swung to the
+right.
+
+"Isn't this nice!" Betty exclaimed.  "Some of our dear old path is
+left, anyway, and we can follow it and forget that any changes have
+been made."
+
+The path ran close to the brook and after they had followed this for
+several hundred yards through a growth of young birches and maples,
+they came to a clearing which had been made since they were last there.
+Above them was the road, and on its lower side was a large pile of big
+poles ready to be rolled into the brook.
+
+"I wonder what they left them there for?" David enquired.
+
+"Oh, I know," Betty replied.  "Mr. Jasper told us, don't you remember,
+that they left a lot of poles to be used along the brook.  They must be
+the ones."
+
+"So he did tell us that," the old man mused.  "Your memory is better
+than mine.  Suppose we sit down here and rest a while.  That walk has
+tired me."
+
+"There's a nice place right in front of that big stump close to the
+brook," and Betty pointed with her finger.  "We can rest there and eat
+a part of our lunch."
+
+When they had reached the place Betty began to unpack the basket.
+First of all she spread down a white cloth, and then laid out the
+sandwiches and cake.  Then she paused, and a look of dismay overspread
+her face.
+
+"We forgot to bring anything to drink!" she exclaimed.  "I had the milk
+all ready in the bottle and came away without it.  What shall we do?"
+
+"Oh, never mind," David replied.  "We can drink some of this brook
+water, can we not?"
+
+"No, it's nasty.  It's too warm.  I know," and she reached for two tin
+cups.  "There's a nice cool spring just up the brook.  I have often got
+water there.  You keep off the flies from the food.  I won't be a
+minute."
+
+Leaving David, Betty hurried up along the edge of the brook until she
+reached the spring bubbling out of the bank.  Filling the cups she made
+her way back as carefully as possible so as not to spill any of the
+water.  She had just reached the edge of the clearing when a strange
+sound fell upon her ears.  It startled her, and looking up, her face
+blanched with terror, for coming down the steep bank was one of the
+large poles which had been separated from its companions.  It was only
+a few seconds in making the descent, but in that brief space of time a
+world of thought crowded into Betty's excited brain.  She saw David
+sitting right in the track of death, unconscious of impending doom.
+Betty tried to shout, to rush forward to rescue him, but no words came
+from her lips, and her feet seemed glued to the ground.  Rapidly the
+pole sped down the bank, and then just when but a score of feet from
+the helpless old man it struck the large stump in its onward sweep.
+With a wild bound it leaped high and like a mighty catapult hurled
+itself through the air over David's head and fell with a terrific crash
+into the brook below.
+
+At first a wild scream of terror escaped Betty's lips, followed
+instantly by a cry of joy as she rushed forward, seized the hand of the
+bewildered old man and led him to a place of safety near the edge of
+the forest.  Then her strength deserted her, and she sank down upon the
+ground and wept like a child.
+
+"Oh, Mr. David, Mr. David," she sobbed, "you were nearly killed.  Oh,
+oh, oh!  Wasn't it awful!"
+
+"There, there, Betty, don't feel so badly," and David stroked her hair
+in a gentle manner.  "I'm all right now, so why should you cry?"
+
+"But I can't help it," the girl moaned.  "I was sure you would be
+killed, and I could do nothing to save you."
+
+"Strange," her companion mused, "what started that log just as I was
+sitting there.  It must have been loose and ready to start at the least
+motion."
+
+"Let us go home," and Betty rose suddenly to her feet.  "I don't want
+to stay here any longer.  The place is not like it used to be.  I do
+not feel safe.  There seems to be danger everywhere."
+
+Hurrying as fast as possible across the open space and casting
+apprehensive glances up the bank lest another pole should take a sudden
+notion to come down, they soon reached the woods beyond.
+
+"There, I feel safer now," Betty panted.  "Those poles can't touch us,
+anyway."
+
+"I did want to see the falls," David replied, "and I am quite
+disappointed.  But I do not feel able to try the trip again as it tires
+me too much."
+
+"Suppose we ask Mr. Jasper to drive you there," Betty suggested.  "I
+know he will be only too pleased to do it.  Isn't it funny we didn't
+think of that before?"
+
+"That is a good idea," David assented.  "Maybe he will do it to-morrow.
+But what's the matter, girl?" he demanded, looking with surprise upon
+Betty, who had suddenly stopped and was staring down upon the brook
+through an opening among the trees.
+
+"Look," she whispered, pointing with her finger, "there is that artist
+sketching down below.  He doesn't know we are here, so let us be as
+quiet as possible."
+
+"Well, why should he startle you?" David enquired.  "He is not
+troubling us.  I'm not afraid of him.  In fact, I feel inclined to go
+and have a talk with him."
+
+"Don't, please don't," and the girl laid her right hand imploringly on
+his arm.  "Let us go home at once, for I feel shaky all over."
+
+"Very well, then," David assented.  "But I wish you would get over your
+foolish notion about that man.  He is merely a harmless artist who has
+come to this place to get some good pictures.  Why can't you be
+sensible?"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII
+
+RESCUED
+
+Jasper had charge of fixing the poles and stretching the wires for
+light and power between the city and the falls, as well as throughout
+the country wherever it was planned to extend them.  Gangs of men were
+at work along the lines, and Jasper was kept busy moving from place to
+place giving instructions and supervising everything.  The entire
+responsibility rested upon him, and he wished to prove worthy of the
+trust.
+
+The afternoon when David and Betty were up the brook, Jasper remained
+closer than usual to Creekdale, where a number of men were working.
+Opposite them a small island nestled out in the river, called "Emerald"
+Island by reason of its rich covering of fir, pine and birch trees.  As
+a rule, Jasper paid strict attention to his duties, but to-day his mind
+often wandered and he would stand gazing out over the water to the
+island beyond.
+
+As the afternoon wore away he became quite restless and watched the
+river most anxiously.  A wind had sprung up, which, gentle at first,
+increased steadily into a gale.  The water soon became rough and great
+white-caps rolled up-stream, especially heavy where the tide was
+strongest.
+
+At length, leaving his men he went to the shore and stood close to the
+watery edge.  He looked more down the river than formerly, as if
+expecting some one from that direction.  But occasionally he cast his
+eyes off toward the island and breathed more freely after each look.
+He often consulted his watch as he now paced up and down the beach.
+
+"What can be keeping that fellow?" he muttered.  "He should have been
+here an hour ago.  Surely he's not tied up on account of the wind.  I
+gave him strict instructions to come back as soon as possible.  If he
+does not----Hello, there he is now," and his face brightened as he gave
+a sigh of relief.
+
+Coming up the river was a big boat used for rafting purposes containing
+one man.  Volumes of spray leaped high as she surged through the water
+driven by a seven horse-power engine.  This craft was used for towing
+logs and poles, and for the carrying of supplies to the various camps.
+
+"You're late, Tom," Jasper remarked as the boat's bow touched the shore
+where he was standing.  "I expected you an hour ago."
+
+"It was the wind, sir," was the reply.  "A number of logs broke loose
+from the raft and I had a hard time to collect them.  There's a heavy
+sea runnin' below the Bar."
+
+"It's bad out there, too," and Jasper pointed off toward the island.
+
+"Sure thing," the man replied, turning partly around.  "There's a boat
+leavin' the island now.  Surely it's not goin' to try to run over."
+
+"Where is it?" Jasper demanded.
+
+"Look," and Tom stretched out his long right arm, "ye kin just see it.
+There, it's plainer now."
+
+The only answer Jasper made was to give the boat a vigorous push from
+the shore, leap aboard, seize the wheel and order Tom to start the
+engine.  In a few seconds they were cutting their way rapidly through
+the water straight for the big white-caps beyond.  Tom asked no
+questions, but attended to the engine.  It was all in the day's work to
+him, and this was much easier than towing logs.
+
+From the moment he had seized the wheel Jasper had not taken his eyes
+off of the little boat away in the distance.  He could see that it was
+in the rough water and was pitching about in an alarming manner.  It
+seemed to be beyond control and was drifting rapidly toward the rougher
+water of the main channel.
+
+"We are going very slow, Tom," he remarked.  "Can't we do any better?"
+
+"She's runnin' full speed," was the reply.  "I'd like to slow down a
+bit, for we're gettin' soaked."
+
+"Never mind the water, Tom.  I wish you could make her go as fast
+again.  Oh! did you see that?"
+
+"See what?"
+
+"The way that little boat pitched.  I thought she had swamped."
+
+It did not really take them more than ten minutes to run across that
+stretch of water, but to Jasper it seemed much longer.  The boat
+pounded and threshed her way forward, shipping water at every plunge,
+keeping Tom busy with the small suction pump.  At last, however, it was
+easy for Jasper to see two women sitting in the drifting boat.  That
+they were helpless and had given up all attempt to reach the shore was
+quite evident.  One was seated astern, and the other was holding the
+oars in her hands, but making no use of them.  Jasper's heart beat
+quicker as he watched her, for he well knew what a struggle she must
+have made before giving up in despair.
+
+"They're women!" Tom exclaimed in astonishment.  "What in the devil are
+they doin' out here!"
+
+"Shut up, and attend to your engine," Jasper sternly ordered.
+
+They were quite close now, and the women saw them.  As they approached
+Jasper could see Lois' face turned toward him and it was very white.
+
+"Sit still," he shouted, and then he motioned to Tom to slow down.
+"Stop her," he presently ordered, and soon they were drifting up close
+to the little boat.
+
+It took Lois and Margaret but a few seconds to step on board of the
+rafting boat, and then their own craft was taken in tow.  There was no
+time for words now, as Jasper had all he could do to handle his own
+boat, for she was rolling heavily as he swung her around and headed for
+the shore.  Running almost broadside to the waves a great deal of water
+was shipped, which kept Tom busy at the pump.
+
+Jasper had no time to pay any attention to the women, but he
+intuitively knew that Lois was watching him.  He was really happier
+than he had been for days, and he was so pleased that he had been of
+some service to the woman he loved.  This was the second time he had
+rescued her from the water, and his mind went back to the experience up
+the brook below the falls.  There was no Sammie Dingle present now to
+mar his pleasure, for which he was most thankful.
+
+It did not take the boat long to run to the Sinclair shore, and here in
+a snug place, safe from the wind, she was beached.
+
+"We can never thank you for what you have done for us to-day," Lois
+remarked as she and Margaret walked with Jasper to the house.  "You
+have saved our lives."
+
+"Don't thank me," Jasper replied.  "It was a pleasure for me to do what
+I did."
+
+"But how did you know we were out there?" Margaret asked.
+
+"It was Tom who saw you first and pointed your boat out to me.  He is
+the one you should thank."
+
+"But why was Tom looking toward the island?" Lois enquired.  "Your
+explanation does not satisfy me."
+
+"Do you imagine that I was spying upon your little outing?" Jasper
+questioned.
+
+"Not exactly spying.  I don't like that word.  But you must have known
+that we were there."
+
+"Yes, I did.  I saw you go over this afternoon, and when the wind
+sprang up it was only natural to suppose you would have trouble in
+getting home.  That is all there is about it."
+
+"And so you kept watch, and then came to our assistance?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+Lois said no more just then, but walked quietly to the house.  She was
+doing considerable thinking, however, and when she and Margaret went
+upstairs to change their wet clothes, she again referred to the matter.
+
+"It is just like him," Margaret remarked.  "He knew that we were over
+there and that our lives would be in danger on the water.  Not many men
+would have thought of such a thing."
+
+Lois made no reply, but there was a deep happiness in her heart.  She
+believed that Jasper had been thinking of her throughout the day and
+that she was always much in his mind.  Margaret somewhat divined her
+thoughts and twined her arms around her neck.
+
+"I believe he thinks a great deal of you, dear," she said, "and I am so
+glad.  It is only natural, for who could resist you?  You are as sweet
+and loveable as can be.  If I were a man I am sure I would fall in love
+with you the first time I met you."
+
+"You did it, anyway, didn't you?" Lois asked, in order to hide her
+embarrassment.  "But there is the car," she added.  "I wonder what
+brings father home so early?"
+
+Going downstairs, they found Mr. Sinclair and Jasper seated upon the
+verandah in a corner protected from the wind by heavy vines.
+
+"You are early to-day, Father," Lois remarked as she gave him the
+customary kiss.  "We generally have to wait dinner for you."
+
+"It is quite necessary that I should get back early, from what I have
+heard about you young women," was the reply.  "It is hardly safe to
+leave you alone."
+
+"So you know all about our narrow escape, then," and Lois looked
+enquiringly into his face.  She believed that Jasper must have been
+telling him, and it somehow disappointed her.  She did not think that
+he would be the first one to talk about the rescue he had made.
+
+"Oh, yes, I learned all about it before I got home," Mr. Sinclair
+explained.  "The men down the road saw it all, and then when Tom took
+the boat back he gave them the full details.  You must be very careful
+after this, Lois, about going over to the island.  You might not always
+have a rescuer handy as you had to-day."
+
+Lois did not reply.  She was glad that Jasper had not told, and she was
+sorry that she had judged him wrongly.  She might have known better, so
+she mused.
+
+Mr. Sinclair was in excellent spirits.  He had changed a great deal
+since his illness and had become more like a father to her than he had
+ever been before.  He entered more into the life of his family, and his
+old sternness passed away.  Lois wondered what brought him back so
+early from the city.  She asked no questions, however, feeling sure
+that he would explain the reason in due time.
+
+She did not in fact have long to wait, for after they were all seated
+at dinner Mr. Sinclair looked quizzically into his daughter's face.
+
+"I know you are puzzling your brain why I came home so early," he
+began.  "Now, are you not?"
+
+"I certainly am," Lois laughingly replied.  "Margaret and I have been
+having all kinds of surmises."
+
+"I've done a great stroke of business to-day," Mr. Sinclair continued,
+"and it has lifted a heavy burden from my mind.  Can any of you guess
+what it is?"
+
+"Bought a new tract of timber, Dad," Dick replied.  "I can't think of
+anything that would please you better than that."
+
+"No, it's not that."
+
+"Maybe you've found some work for Dick to do," Lois suggested.  "That
+would certainly be a great stroke of business."
+
+"Come, come, Lois," her brother remonstrated.  "You seem to think that
+I have nothing to do."
+
+"Haven't I good reason to think so?"
+
+"No, it's not that," Mr. Sinclair intervened.  "You're a long way off."
+
+"Have you bought out the new Light and Power Company?" Jasper asked.
+
+"No, no," and Mr. Sinclair chuckled as he went on with his dinner.  He
+was enjoying immensely the little game.
+
+"I think I know what it is," and Margaret looked intently into his
+face.  "You have sold out to the Break Neck Light and Power Company."
+
+"How in the world did you know that?" Mr. Sinclair asked in surprise.
+"Why, I thought it was a dead secret."
+
+"So it was in a way," Margaret smilingly replied.  "But, you see, I am
+supposed to know a little of what is going on."
+
+"And your father told you about it, did he?"
+
+"Yes.  I have known for some time that he was hoping you would sell
+out, and thus avoid trouble."
+
+"Is it possible, Father," Lois asked, "that you have sold out all your
+interest in the City Light and Power Company?"
+
+"We've all sold out, and at such a figure that we are much satisfied."
+
+"Oh, I am so glad," and Margaret clasped her hands before her.  "I was
+afraid that there might be trouble between you and father, and I did
+not want that."
+
+"There is no danger of that now," Mr. Sinclair replied, "though there
+was at one time.  I never believed that the matter could be so
+satisfactorily arranged, for I had no idea that the new company would
+be willing to come to our terms."
+
+Margaret said nothing more, and while the others talked she took no
+part in the conversation.  She very well knew why the matter had been
+so amicably settled, and she smiled to herself as she thought of the
+several long conversations she and her father had had together.  But
+for her interference nothing would have been done, she was well aware
+of that.  She remembered how stubborn her father had been when she
+first suggested the idea to him.  But after he had considered it most
+carefully he realised what a good business proposition it would be.
+
+"I believe Margaret is getting home-sick," Dick remarked.
+
+"Why, what makes you think that?" she asked, somewhat startled by the
+question.
+
+"Because you are so quiet.  You haven't said a word for the last five
+minutes."
+
+"She hasn't had much chance," Lois laughingly replied.  "You have been
+doing most of the talking, Dick."
+
+"Have I?" and the young man opened his eyes wide in apparent amazement.
+"But I am going to be silent now and let Margaret tell my fortune.  She
+is a dandy at that," and he handed over his cup as he spoke.
+
+"Oh, I have told your fortune so often," was the reply, "that it is
+getting to be an old story now."
+
+"Won't you tell me mine?" Jasper asked, passing his cup.  "I should
+like to know what's in store for me."
+
+Margaret took the cup in her hand and gazed at it thoughtfully for a
+few seconds.
+
+"Do you really wish to know?" she asked.
+
+"Certainly."
+
+"Well, then, I see great trouble ahead of you."
+
+"Whew!" Dick whistled.  "This is getting serious.  You'd better be
+careful, Spuds."
+
+"Yes," Margaret continued, "I see a big black cloud, and it entirely
+surrounds you."
+
+"Does it pass away?" Lois questioned, now much interested.
+
+"I can not altogether tell."
+
+"He's going to have a nightmare," Dick bantered, at which they all
+laughed.
+
+"I hope there's nothing in your prophecy," Jasper remarked.  "If I were
+at all superstitious I might worry a great deal over what you say."
+
+"Look here, Lois," and Dick turned to his sister, "is there a hole in
+that tea-strainer?  For pity sakes get a new one, and don't let so many
+grounds get through in the future.  We don't want any more clouds."
+
+When dinner was over they all went out on the verandah.  It was a
+beautiful evening, for the wind had subsided, and the river stretched
+out before them like a huge mirror.
+
+"How I should like to be out there now," Lois remarked, as she gazed
+pensively upon the water.  "Suppose we go for a row?"
+
+"I should think you'd be sick and tired of the river after your
+experience to-day," Dick replied.  "I prefer the car to a boat any
+time."
+
+"With all the enjoyment of dust, noise, and smell of gasoline thrown
+in," his sister sarcastically retorted.
+
+"I guess you were most thankful to smell gasoline to-day, though, when
+Spuds picked you up in that old tub of his.  Now, weren't you?"
+
+Before Lois could reply Betty suddenly appeared before them.  Her face
+was flushed, and she was panting as if she had been running fast.
+
+"I have only a minute to spare," she explained, "for Mr. David doesn't
+know I have left him.  He wants to see you, Mr. Jasper, and so I have
+come before it gets too late.  I am afraid to come out after dark now."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV
+
+GATHERING CLOUDS
+
+Jasper did not like the idea of leaving such agreeable company and
+going with Betty.  It was so pleasant to be near Lois, and he was
+hoping that they might have a quiet little conversation together.  Why
+could not David wait?  There was surely nothing of great importance
+that he wished to see him about.  No doubt he wanted to ask him some
+questions concerning the progress of the work at the falls.  He could
+call in on his way home and have a chat with him.
+
+These thoughts ran quickly through his mind as he sat there watching
+Betty.  But something in the girl's face told him that he had better go
+at once, and so he rose from his chair.
+
+"Won't you come back again?" Lois asked.  "It is go early that surely
+Mr. David will not keep you all the evening."
+
+"I'm afraid not," was the reluctant reply.  "I shall go over to my
+cabin and get a good sleep.  I was up late last night looking after
+that raft of poles which we took down river to-day."
+
+Lois had the feeling that something was wrong, and she longed to go to
+the Haven and find out what it was.  She was almost tempted to leave
+the rest and accompany Jasper and Betty.  She banished this idea,
+however, thinking that after all there was nothing over which she
+should worry.  But in a twinkling there flashed into her mind the words
+Margaret had so lightly spoken over the tea-cup.  "I see a big black
+cloud, and it entirely surrounds you."  Why did those words come to her
+now? she asked herself, and why should she have that strange foreboding
+of impending trouble?  So strong was this impression that she was
+inclined to hurry after Jasper and give him warning.  She did nothing
+of the kind, however, but during the remainder of the evening she was
+quieter than usual and took little part in any conversation.
+
+Jasper walked by Betty's side along the road leading to the main
+highway.
+
+"How did you know where I was?" he presently asked her.
+
+"We saw you this afternoon out on the river saving Miss Lois and Miss
+Margaret."
+
+"Why, where were you?"
+
+"Mr. David and I were up on the hill.  We had just come back from a
+walk up the brook.  Mr. David was tired after his excitement, and so we
+sat down to rest.  It was then that we saw you."
+
+"What made Mr. David excited?" Jasper enquired.  "I suppose it was the
+great change he saw at the falls, was it?"
+
+"Oh, no, not that.  It was the rolling log which did it.  You see, Mr.
+David was nearly killed this afternoon."
+
+At these words Jasper stopped short and looked keenly into Betty's face.
+
+"Nearly killed!  What do you mean?" he demanded.
+
+"Yes, that was it."  Then in a few words the girl told him what had
+happened up the brook that afternoon, and of old David's narrow escape.
+
+For a while Jasper walked slowly along the road after Betty had
+finished.  He was greatly puzzled, for he could not believe that any
+log would become loosened at the exact moment when David was directly
+in front of it unless there was something to start it on its downward
+course.
+
+"Did you see any men working near the logs when you were there?" he at
+length asked.
+
+"I didn't see any," was the reply.  "But we met several teams on our
+way up."
+
+"And you saw no one near the place at all?"
+
+"We didn't see any one near where we were going to have our lunch, but
+as we were coming home we saw the artist down by our brook."
+
+"You did?  And where was he?"
+
+"Not far from Pyramid Rock.  I don't think he saw us, for we hurried by
+as fast as we could."
+
+"Why did you do that?"
+
+"Because I'm afraid of him."
+
+"What, did he ever do anything to frighten you?"
+
+"No.  But he makes me shiver all over.  I can't understand why it is."
+
+Jasper found David crouched in his big easy chair near the open window
+facing the falls.  His eyes brightened as the young man entered and sat
+down by his side.
+
+"It is good of you to come," David began, "for I have been anxious to
+speak to you ever since we came back from up the brook.  You may go,"
+and he motioned Betty to the door.  "I wish to be alone for a while
+with Mr. Randall."
+
+He waited until the door had closed behind the girl, and then turned
+his eyes upon his visitor's face.  Jasper noted the worry there, and at
+once connected it with his experience up the brook that afternoon.
+
+"Has Betty told you?" and David laid his right hand gently upon
+Jasper's arm.
+
+"About the rolling log, and your narrow escape this afternoon?"
+
+David nodded.
+
+"Yes, she told me about it on our way here.  I am so thankful that you
+were not hurt."
+
+"I might have been killed!  It was nothing less than a miracle that I
+escaped."
+
+"It has shaken you up a great deal, so I see.  But you will be all
+right after a good night's sleep.  Your nerves are somewhat unstrung
+now."
+
+"Perhaps so," the old man mused.  "But I feel uneasy.  It may be the
+shock, as you suggest.  But there is something in my heart that I
+cannot explain.  I never had such a feeling before, and I thought that
+perhaps you could help me."
+
+"In what way?" Jasper asked, as David paused as if groping for the
+right words.
+
+"It appears as if everything is about to slip away from me.  I seem
+to-night as if about to start on a long mysterious journey, and that I
+shall never return.  People call me crazy, and perhaps they have good
+reason for doing so.  You may think the same, and especially so now as
+you listen to my words.  But I cannot help this peculiar notion that
+possesses me and almost overwhelms me with strange forebodings.  It may
+be the outcome of a mind diseased, who knows?  My great concern,
+though, is in connection with the work at the falls.  I have the
+feeling that in some way I am necessary to its welfare.  I do not wish
+it to stop, and I want you to promise me to-night that if anything
+should happen to me that you will take my place, and be keenly
+interested in it."
+
+"I do not see how I can take your place, for that is not in my power.
+But take a deep interest in all that goes on up there I certainly
+shall, and be as deeply interested in its progress as you have been."
+
+"Ah, you can never be interested in it as I am," and David's eyes
+glowed with the intensity of his old-time devotion.  "Can any one be as
+much interested in the growth and progress of a child as its parents?
+My child is up there," and he stretched out his arm toward the falls.
+"For it I have longed and suffered.  It is bone of my bone and flesh of
+my flesh.  My heart's blood is there."
+
+Jasper now felt certain that the old man's mind was really unbalanced.
+He attributed it to the excitement of his narrow escape that afternoon.
+A good sleep would refresh him, and he would be all right in the
+morning.  He rose to his feet and took David's hand in his.
+
+"I must go now," he said.  "We both need sleep.  I was up late last
+night, and so must go home early to get a good rest.  You had better do
+the same."
+
+ "I don't want to sleep," David emphatically replied.
+"My mind is too much upset to rest.  But if you must go let me walk a
+short way with you.  Perhaps the cool night air will refresh me.  Wait
+a moment until I put on my coat and hat.  Betty will be angry if I go
+without them."
+
+Then he suddenly paused and caught Jasper fiercely by the arm.
+
+"Do you hear them?" he asked.  "Listen," and he held up his right hand.
+
+In the old man's eyes had come a peculiar light, and his manner
+reminded Jasper of the first night he had met him on the road when he
+had rescued him from the speeding auto.
+
+"Do you hear them?" David repeated.  "My beautiful falls, my beautiful
+falls.  What sweeter music than the sound of your rushing water.
+People have been deaf to your luring voice.  I alone have listened and
+understood.  They called me a fool and said I was crazy, ha, ha!  But
+they know better now.  They have seen what my beautiful falls can do.
+Light and power!  Light and power!  The world transformed.  Burdens
+lifted from weary shoulders; homes transformed, and the hearts of all
+made glad."
+
+He was standing in the middle of the room as he uttered these words,
+and Jasper noted how the fire of excitement was increasing in intensity.
+
+"Come," and he laid his hand upon his companion's arm as he spoke, "let
+us go for a walk."
+
+"Hush!  Listen!" he cried, unheeding Jasper's words.  "There it is
+again!  Do you hear it?  It's coming from the valley; it has winged its
+way across the sea.  Ha, ha, he will hear it and tremble.  But, wait,
+he is not there; he is in hell.  Yes, that's where he is--in hell!
+Where else could he be?"
+
+David's voice had risen to a shriek as he uttered the last words.
+Jasper stared at him in amazement.  What did he mean by such strange
+utterances?  Surely the man was out of his mind.
+
+"Come," he again ordered, "let us leave the house and go for a walk.
+You will feel better out in the cool air."
+
+Taking him by the arm Jasper led him out upon the verandah and down the
+steps.  The twilight was deepening fast, and a quiet peace had settled
+over the land.  Away to the right the trees on the high hills were
+clearly silhouetted against the evening sky.  At any other time Jasper
+would have stood and revelled in the beauty of his surroundings.  But
+now he was too much concerned about the man at his side to think about
+such things.  From the time they left the house until they reached the
+main highway David talked incessantly.  He was greatly excited, and
+gesticulated at almost every word.
+
+At length he stopped, placed his right hand to his forehead, and looked
+around.
+
+"What have I been saying?" he asked in a calmer voice.  "It seems to me
+that I have been in a strange country seeing all kinds of things."
+
+"You are all right now," Jasper replied.  "You certainly have been
+raving at a great rate."
+
+"Have I?" the old man queried, and he lapsed into a momentary silence.
+"Peculiar feelings come over me at times.  The fresh air of night has
+done me much good.  I shall walk a short way with you along the road."
+
+David was now a pleasant companion, and Jasper enjoyed talking to him.
+He enquired about the progress of the work at the falls and asked
+numerous questions.  Not once did he refer to the dark forebodings
+which had possessed him at the Haven, and Jasper believed that he had
+forgotten about them.
+
+"I think I shall return now," he said after they had walked some
+distance.
+
+"Shall I go back with you?" Jasper asked.
+
+"Not at all.  I shall enjoy the walk alone.  You are tired and should
+get home at once.  So, good night.  I hope to see you again soon."
+
+Jasper stood and watched him until the darkness swallowed him up.  Then
+he made his way along the road to his own lonely house.  He was very
+tired, but he found it difficult to get to sleep.  The strange words
+which David had uttered kept running constantly through his mind.  When
+he did at last fall into a fitful slumber, he was beset by a dreadful
+monster, which was slowly crushing him to pieces while he was unable to
+do anything to save himself.
+
+He was aroused from this nightmare by a loud pounding upon the door.
+At first he imagined it was some one coming to his relief.  Half dazed
+he groped his way across the room, threw open the door and peered out
+into the night.
+
+"Who's there?" he demanded.
+
+"It's only me," came a voice which he recognised at once as Betty's.
+"Oh, Mr. Jasper, have you seen Mr. David?" she asked.
+
+"Seen Mr. David!" Jasper exclaimed in surprise.  "I haven't seen him
+since I left him last night on the road near the Haven.  Didn't he go
+home?"
+
+"No, he didn't, and that's the reason I'm here.  I waited up for him
+and when he didn't come back, I started out to find him."
+
+"You stay there a minute," Jasper ordered, as he closed the door and
+turned back into the room.  Lighting a lamp, he was astonished to find
+that it was near midnight.  It took him but a few moments to dress, and
+then he again threw open the door and stepped out into the night.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV
+
+MYSTERY
+
+By the light streaming through the doorway Jasper could see that
+Betty's face was very pale.  She was greatly agitated as well, and her
+teeth chattered as she spoke.
+
+"You have been running hard," Jasper remarked.  "You had better come in
+and rest awhile."
+
+"No, no," the girl protested.  "Don't let us wait a minute.  We must
+find Mr. David!"
+
+"Are you sure he isn't home?" Jasper asked.
+
+"Yes, I am sure he isn't there."
+
+"But he may have slipped in and you didn't hear him."
+
+"No, no, he couldn't have done it.  I was listening and watching every
+minute for him to come back.  I am certain I would have seen him."
+
+"Does Mrs. Peterson know where you are?"
+
+"No.  She was asleep when I left.  I only intended, to come a short
+distance for I was sure that I would meet Mr. David coming back.  But
+when I didn't, I came all the way here.  Oh, let us go at once."
+
+Jasper stepped back into the room, and put out the light.  He was about
+to close the door when he paused.
+
+"Wait a minute," he said, "until I get my lantern.  We can't do
+anything without a light.  Mr. David may have fainted by the side of
+the road.  He is an old man, you know."
+
+It did not take Jasper long to get the lantern, and soon they were
+speeding across the field toward the main highway.  He noticed that
+Betty kept very close to him, and as they drew near the Haven she
+seemed to be trembling violently.  She started often, and Jasper
+wondered what was the matter with her.
+
+"Were you not frightened to come all the way alone?" he asked.
+
+"Not at first," was the reply.  "But I was frightened after a while and
+I ran hard."
+
+"What frightened you?  Were you afraid of the dark?"
+
+"No--yes," Betty faltered.  Jasper wondered at her answer, but made no
+comment.
+
+All along the road they watched most carefully, thinking they might
+find David.  Especially careful was this search as they neared the
+Haven but not a trace of him could they find.
+
+The Petersons were greatly concerned over the missing man.  The captain
+suggested that the neighbours should be notified and a search-party
+should start out at once.  As this seemed the only thing to do, Jasper
+hurried to the village and aroused Andy Forbes from his slumbers.  It
+took the storekeeper several minutes to grasp the significance of the
+affair, and Jasper had to do considerable explaining.
+
+"So you tell me that Crazy David is lost?" he at length queried.
+
+"Certainly.  Isn't that what I have been trying to tell you?  We must
+get a search-party out after him at once.  I fear that evil has
+befallen the old man.  He may be wandering off in the woods somewhere,
+as his mind seems to be uncertain at times."
+
+"I'm afraid we can't do much to-night," and Andy scratched his head in
+perplexity.  "However, I'll see what I can do.  Maybe I can get a bunch
+of men together before morning."
+
+"That's good," Jasper encouraged.  "You round up the men here, and I'll
+go to the camp down the road.  There are several men there and I'll get
+one of them to hurry to the falls and bring in all the men.  I feel
+responsible for the welfare of David as I had strict instructions to
+look after him.  If anything has befallen him I shall never forgive
+myself."
+
+It took Jasper over an hour to go to the camp and bring back a half
+dozen men.  In the meantime a dozen or more had left the village with
+lanterns to begin the search.  These he met up the road.  They had
+searched every nook and corner, but had found no trace of the missing
+one.
+
+"It's no use hunting when it is so dark," Andy informed him.  "We might
+as well look for a needle in a hay-stack.  I move that we wait until
+morning."
+
+This suggestion was carried out, and while most of the men went back to
+their homes in order to get something to eat, Jasper made his way to
+the Haven.  Mrs. Peterson met him at the door and her face bore a
+worried expression.
+
+"Have you found him?" she enquired.  "We have been so uneasy."
+
+"No," was the reply.  "We must wait until morning.  It is no use
+groping about in the dark.  Where is Betty?"
+
+"She's in Mr. David's room.  I am so anxious about her.  She has been
+crying and wringing her hands ever since you left.  I cannot tell what
+has come over the girl."
+
+"She is fretting about David, no doubt."
+
+"Yes, that may account for some of her grief," and Mrs. Peterson's eyes
+rested thoughtfully upon the floor.  "But there's something else
+troubling her, mark my word.  She's been nearly frightened to death
+over something, and the way she sits and shivers at times is hard for
+me to stand."
+
+"But won't she tell you what's the matter?" Jasper asked.
+
+"I have asked her over and over again, but she always shakes her head,
+and falls to sobbing and moaning worse than ever.  Poor child, I feel
+so sorry for her."
+
+"It is strange," Jasper mused.  "May I see her?  Perhaps it is only the
+excitement that is troubling her."
+
+Betty's face brightened somewhat as Jasper entered the room.  This was
+for only an instant, however, and then she buried her face in her hands
+and sobbed as if her heart would break.
+
+"Betty, Betty, what is the matter?" Jasper asked.  "Tell me what is
+worrying you?"
+
+"It's about Mr. David!" she moaned.  "He's lost and I'm sure he's dead!"
+
+"But we hope to find him," Jasper soothed.  "Just as soon as it is
+light enough we are going to continue our search for him.  He must have
+wandered away into the woods, and no doubt we shall soon find him.
+There is something else troubling you, is there not?  Won't you tell me
+what it is?"
+
+But the girl shook her head, and try as he might Jasper could not
+induce her to talk.  She was determined to remain obstinately silent.
+
+There was but one person to whom Jasper felt he could turn for
+assistance, and that was Lois.  He had thought of her before, and
+wondered if she had heard the news of David's disappearance.  He felt
+that it was unlikely as no one would think of carrying the news there.
+As he stood for a few minutes looking upon Betty who was sitting before
+him the very embodiment of abject misery, he believed that Lois was the
+only one who could comfort her, and perhaps induce her to reveal the
+cause of her unusual state of agitation.  Telling the girl to be brave,
+and to keep up hope for David's safe return, he left the Haven and
+hastened down the road toward the main highway, and then took a short
+cut across the field toward the Sinclair house.  Far off in the east
+light was breaking above the horizon, and he knew that in a short time
+the search would again begin for the missing man, and he must be there.
+
+Not a sign of life could he observe around the place, and he wondered
+how he could awaken Lois and not disturb the whole household.  As he
+drew near the verandah he noticed that a light shone from one of the
+upstairs windows.  Whether it was Lois' room or not he could not tell,
+but scarcely had he stepped upon the verandah and tapped gently upon
+the door, ere it was opened and Lois stood before him, dressed in her
+out-of-door clothes.
+
+"What's the matter?" she asked before Jasper had time to say a word.
+
+"Have you heard anything?" Jasper enquired,
+
+"No, nothing," was the reply.  "But I saw the lights near the Haven and
+along the road and felt sure that something was wrong."
+
+Jasper noted that Lois' face was very pale, and that she was trembling
+as if cold.  He did not know that she had been unable to sleep owing to
+the strange presentiment which had come to her the previous evening.
+So strong had this at last become that she had risen and looked out of
+the window facing the Haven.  It was then that she saw the moving
+lights, and her worst tears were confirmed.
+
+"David is missing," Jasper told her, "and we are waiting for daylight
+to have another search for him."
+
+"David is missing!" Lois slowly repeated, as if she had not heard
+aright.  "Have you any idea where he is?"
+
+"No.  I left him last night on the road near the Haven.  He may have
+wandered off somewhere into the woods.  But Betty is feeling very
+badly, and I have come thinking that perhaps you might be able to
+comfort her."
+
+"I shall go at once," Lois replied.  "I am so glad you have come for
+me, as I was almost frantic wondering what was going on."
+
+As they made their way toward the Haven Jasper told Lois more about
+Betty and her state of agitation.
+
+"What is the cause of it, do you suppose?" Lois asked.  "Do you think
+it is in connection with Mr. David?"
+
+"Not altogether, I am quite certain.  There is something else on her
+mind.  She might explain to you what it is when she would tell no one
+else."
+
+They had just reached the gate leading to the Haven when Andy Forbes,
+accompanied by several men, swung up the road.
+
+"I must leave you now," Jasper told Lois, "and assist in the search."
+
+"Please let us know as soon as you find any trace of Mr. David," Lois
+replied.  "I shall stay with Betty for a while."
+
+It was quite light now, and as the men walked along the road they
+searched most carefully every nook and corner, but all in vain.
+
+"He is not anywhere here," Andy remarked.  "But he may have wandered
+into the woods along that old winter road.  I suggest that we follow it
+for a while.  He may be wandering about in there.  We can comb the
+woods if he's not on the road."
+
+The men moved very quietly, keenly alert, each hoping to make the
+discovery first.  To Jasper there seemed something uncanny about the
+way they moved so silently onward at that weird morning hour.  A spirit
+of depression came upon him, and his companions appeared like enemies.
+He felt that in some unaccountable way they believed that he was to
+blame for all the trouble, and that he should have taken more care of
+the old man.
+
+After they had gone some distance along the old road and had found
+nothing, they stopped and held a consultation as to what they should do.
+
+"Suppose we divide up and search through the woods," Jasper suggested.
+"Andy, you and Dave come with me, and we'll work back on this side of
+the road, while the rest of the men do the same on the other."
+
+Acting upon this suggestion, they at once plunged into the woods and
+took up their positions several rods from one another.  Jasper was
+nearest the road.  Next to him was Dave, while Andy was farthest off.
+Walking abreast among the trees, they were thus enabled to examine
+every portion of the ground.  In a way it seemed almost a hopeless
+task, but there was nothing else for them to do.  They knew that other
+men would be scouring up and down the main road, as well as through the
+fields, and in fact every place where David might have strayed.
+
+They had been thus searching for some time and were not far from the
+main highway, when they heard loud shouting from the men on the other
+side of the old wood-road.  Feeling sure that they were needed, the
+three men hurried forward in the direction from whence the sounds came.
+Jasper led, and his heart beat fast as he bounded through the woods,
+unheeding scratches upon his face and hands from the rough branches
+which brushed his body.
+
+It took him only a few minutes to accomplish this, and he suddenly came
+upon the men grouped around something which was lying upon the ground.
+When his eyes rested upon the form of David huddled there, he gave a
+half-suppressed cry, and brushing the men aside, dropped upon his knees
+by the old man's side.
+
+"Is he dead?" he asked in a hoarse whisper.
+
+"Dead as a door nail," Jim Goban replied.  "Guess he's been dead fer
+some time by the look of things.  Mighty bad piece of business this, I
+call it."
+
+"Do you suppose he was killed?" Jasper enquired.
+
+"Sure.  There's no doubt about that from the mark on his head.  He's
+been knocked down like an ox."
+
+A shiver shook Jasper's body at these words, and he straightened
+himself up.  He did not notice that several of the men were watching
+him closely and observing his every word and action.
+
+"Who could have done such a diabolical thing?" Jasper mused, as if to
+himself.  "Let us examine the ground very carefully to see if the man
+who did this deed left any trace.  He might have dropped something."
+
+"We have looked," Jim replied, "and we found this."
+
+Jasper's eyes had been searching the ground, but something in Jim's
+voice caused him to turn suddenly, and as he did so his heart almost
+stopped beating and his face turned ghastly pale, for there in the
+man's out-stretched hand was an envelope with his own name upon it.
+
+"Where did you find that?" he gasped, as he reached out to take it.
+
+But Jim drew back, while an expression of exultation gleamed in his
+eyes.
+
+"No, I guess I better keep it," he replied.  "It might come in handy
+later on.  We found it right there," and he pointed to a spot near
+where the dead man was lying.  "Guess we all saw it at once."
+
+A sickening feeling suddenly overwhelmed Jasper, and he felt faint.  He
+looked keenly into the faces of the men standing near, but their eyes
+were averted.  Did they believe him to be guilty of such a foul deed?
+he asked himself.  Something told him that they did, and the less he
+now said the better it would be.  He wanted to get away from their
+presence to think it all over.
+
+"You better carry the body to the Haven," he at length suggested in a
+voice as calm as possible.  "I'm afraid I can't be of any more service."
+
+With that, he turned and walked rapidly away, leaving the men staring
+after him with suspicious, wondering eyes.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVI
+
+UNDER SUSPICION
+
+Never in the entire history of Creekdale had there been such intense
+excitement as when word was received of the murder of old David.  At
+first people could not believe it was true, and thought there had been
+some mistake.  But when the men who had found David related the story
+then all doubt was set aside.  The store was crowded that afternoon
+with excited men who had gathered to hear the smallest detail, and to
+discuss with one another the whole affair.  It was Sandy Miller who
+described how he had made the discovery, and then shouted for his
+companions.
+
+"Was the letter lying near?" Andy Forbes asked.
+
+"I didn't notice it at first," was the reply, "as I was so overcome by
+the sight before me.  It must have been lying there all the time, for
+Jim Goban saw it at once."
+
+"Where is that letter now?"
+
+"Jim has it, I guess.  It wasn't a letter, but merely an envelope with
+'Jasper Randall' written plain on the outside.  You should have seen
+that fellow's face when Jim showed it to him."
+
+"But do you think that proves anything?" Andy enquired.
+
+"Wouldn't like to say.  But you know as well as I do how suspicious the
+thing looks, and how much the lawyers will make out of it."
+
+"Is the body at the Haven now?" one of the men asked.
+
+"We took it there," Andy replied.  Then he paused and looked around
+upon his audience.  "I hope I shall never have to take part in such a
+business again," he continued.  "I can't get the face of that girl
+Betty out of my mind, and her wild cry is still ringing in my ears.  I
+thought she would go crazy for sure when she heard what had happened."
+
+"She was very fond of the old man, so I understand," Ned Purvis
+remarked.
+
+"She certainly was.  They were just like father and daughter.  But I
+must say that Miss Sinclair was a regular brick.  She took charge of
+everything at once and seemed to know the right thing to do.  But, my,
+her face was pale, and you should have seen her eyes--when she turned
+them upon Jim Goban."
+
+"What did she do that for?" Ned questioned.
+
+"Because Jim showed her the envelope and hinted that Randall was the
+guilty one."
+
+"Did she say anything?"
+
+"Never a word.  But her eyes said enough, and I saw Jim flinch as if he
+had been struck in the face."
+
+"The women folks say that her and him are pretty thick," Steve Clemwell
+drawled.  "Maybe that's the reason why she's goin' to stick up fer him.
+They've been seen drivin' together, and he's been often at her house."
+
+"But what reason would Randall have for murdering Crazy David?" Andy
+asked.  "They've always been the best of friends, and they've never had
+a quarrel as far as I know."
+
+"But the old man had money, so it was reported," Ned replied.  "Andy
+here knows something about that."
+
+The storekeeper, however, shook his head.  He was not anxious now to
+appear to know more than he really did.  He alone of all the men was
+feeling keenly for Jasper.
+
+"Mark my word, men," and he looked around solemnly upon those before
+him, "there's a deep mystery connected with this affair.  You have
+taken for granted that Randall is guilty because that envelope was
+found near the body.  But I think we had better keep our mouths shut,
+for if we don't some of us may get into trouble.  There's going to be a
+big time over this, and it's best for us to wait and see what will be
+the outcome.  When the detectives get to work they won't leave a stone
+unturned, and the smallest detail which bears upon the matter will be
+put into evidence.
+
+"When will the detectives begin work?" Ned asked.
+
+"I don't know, and I don't suppose any of us will, for that matter.
+They're not going to inform the public of their movements, and maybe
+we'll never know they've been here.  But they'll find out all there is
+to know, or I'm much mistaken."
+
+"D'ye s'pose they'll arrest that chap on suspicion?" Steve enquired, as
+he cut a slice from a plug of tobacco he was holding in his hand.
+"I've heered they ginerally do that furst of all so as to make no
+mistake."
+
+"Most likely they will," Andy replied.  "I wonder where he is, anyway.
+I haven't seen him since he left us in the woods."
+
+"Maybe he's cleared out," Ned suggested.
+
+Scarcely had he finished speaking ere Jasper entered the store.  His
+face was very pale, and he walked at once toward Andy.
+
+"I want to use the phone," he told him.
+
+"All right, go ahead," and the storekeeper motioned to a small
+closet-like compartment in one corner of the room.  Andy prided himself
+upon this place which he had built with his own hands.  As there were
+generally people in the store he found it important that the ones using
+the telephone should be as private as possible.  It was for his own
+protection as well as for others that he had built it.
+
+Jasper at once crossed the room, entered the place and closed the door
+tightly after him.  He well knew that the ears of all would be strained
+to the utmost to hear what he was saying.  It took him only a short
+time to call up Central in the city and to get into communication with
+Mr. Westcote.  His message was very brief.
+
+"There is great trouble here, and you must come as soon and fast as you
+possibly can.  Come at once to my cabin, and bring the best lawyer in
+the city.  I will explain everything then."
+
+That was the message, and in reply Mr. Westcote told him that he would
+leave immediately in his car, travel as fast as possible, and bring his
+own lawyer with him.
+
+Jasper then crossed the room and paid the storekeeper the price of the
+message.  There was a dead silence while he did this, which Jasper was
+not slow to notice.  He spoke to none of the men gathered there, in
+fact did not even look at them, but left the store as soon as possible.
+
+From the time the blow had fallen and he realised that he was a man
+suspected of murder, he seemed to be dazed.
+
+He had gone to his own cabin and had tried to reason the whole thing
+out.  But the more he thought the more puzzled he became.  There was no
+doubt that David had been murdered, but who had done the deed, and for
+what purpose?  Only one person came to his mind, and he recalled what
+Betty had told him about the old man's narrow escape from the rolling
+log.  Though he felt that Sydney Bramshaw had something to do with the
+affair, he had no definite proof.  He naturally connected him with the
+murder.  But what object would the man have for doing such a dastardly
+deed?  He wondered much about the envelope, and how it got there.  He
+had never been to that spot before, and he was quite certain that David
+did not have it with him.  Somebody, then, must have obtained
+possession of the envelope and dropped it near the body in order to
+cast suspicion upon him.  But why should any one wish to involve him in
+such a serious crime?
+
+Long and carefully Jasper considered the matter in an effort to solve
+the problem.  But the more he thought the greater was he puzzled.  He
+realised that he must have assistance as that envelope and the fact
+that he was on the road with David the night of the murder would tell
+strongly against him.  He naturally turned to Robert Westcote as the
+one man who could help him and would stand by him in his time of need.
+
+He felt very lonely and wretched as he left the store and walked slowly
+up the road.  He did not wish to go back to the silence of his own
+cabin.  If he could only speak to some one and feel that all were not
+against him it would be some comfort.  He thought of Lois, and wondered
+if she were at the Haven.  He was certain that she would not believe
+him guilty of such a cowardly deed, but would stand by him to the last.
+Yes, she was the very one, and he would go to her at once.  His step
+quickened as this impulse possessed him and he hurried rapidly along
+the road, with swinging strides.
+
+"Hello, you seem to be in a great hurry."
+
+Jasper started at these words, stopped short and looked in the
+direction from whence the voice came.  As he did so his face darkened,
+for there, sitting before his easel not far from the road, was Sydney
+Bramshaw.
+
+His brush was poised in hand as if he had merely paused in his work of
+sketching a bunch of birch trees a short distance away.
+
+"You seem to be in a great hurry," the artist repeated, evidently
+enjoying the forbidding expression upon Jasper's face.
+
+"Well, what of it?" was the curt reply.  "It's a free country, isn't
+it?"
+
+"That all depends," and Bramshaw laid down his brush in a thoughtful
+manner.  "It might be free to one and not to another.  You and I can do
+about as we please to-day, and no one will try to interfere with us.
+But it isn't the same with the one who put that poor old man out of
+business last night.  He isn't free in the sense we are."
+
+"So you've heard about it, have you?" Jasper questioned.
+
+"Oh, yes.  The whole country is wild with the news.  I have been
+talking to a number of people and they are greatly worked up over the
+cowardly deed.  Poor old David!  He certainly was an innocent cuss."
+
+"When did you first hear about it?" Jasper enquired.
+
+"Not until late this morning.  I am a sound sleeper."
+
+"You surely must be.  I don't see how any man could sleep with all the
+noise the men made passing along the road last night.  Were you up
+late, eh?"
+
+"What do you mean?" and an angry light leaped into Bramshaw's eyes.  "I
+wish you to know that I went to sleep with the birds last night."
+
+"I am glad to hear of it.  You didn't always keep such good hours,
+especially one night when I caught you prowling about my place.
+Perhaps a hint to the wise was sufficient, and you have changed your
+manner of living."
+
+"D---- you!" Bramshaw cried, rising to his feet.  "I was willing to be
+friendly with you, but you insult me to my face."
+
+"That's much better than insulting you behind your back, isn't it?  You
+are sure who does it and you can act accordingly."
+
+"Is that a challenge to fight?"
+
+"Take it any way you like.  I am anxious to get my hands on somebody
+to-day, for I want a little exercise.  I'm getting tired of doing
+nothing."
+
+"But there's nothing to be gained by fighting," Bramshaw protested.
+"What reason have we for fighting?"
+
+Jasper gave a sarcastic laugh, and looked the artist up and down.
+
+"You certainly wouldn't gain much by fighting, but I would.  Sydney
+Bramshaw, I believe you are a miserable sneak, ay, and worse, and it
+would be a great satisfaction for me to get my hands on your measly
+carcass just for two minutes."
+
+Under the impulse of the moment Jasper had left the road and approached
+close to the artist.  The latter shrank back and his face paled at the
+action of his formidable opponent.
+
+"Bah!  I wouldn't touch you," Jasper sneered.  "I wouldn't spoil your
+nice clothes and your soft delicate hands.  Oh, no.  Go on with your
+work of painting the beautiful things in nature."
+
+For a few seconds Jasper stood and looked upon the man cowering before
+him.  He longed to pierce his very soul that he might learn whether his
+suspicious were really true.  He was tempted to startle him with a
+question about that envelope.  But, no, he felt that it would be better
+to consult the lawyer before saying anything.
+
+Leaving the artist, Jasper regained the highway with a bound, and
+hurried onward.  It did not take him long now to reach the road leading
+to the Haven, and his angry mood passed like a cloud from the face of
+the sun when he saw Lois standing there beneath the shade of a large
+tree.  Her eyes brightened when she saw him, and without a word she
+held out her hand.  For a few heartbeats neither spoke, but their eyes
+met, and Jasper knew by the look that Lois gave him that she at least
+was true and believed in him.
+
+"You know all?" he stammered.
+
+"No, not all," was the quiet reply.  "But I know enough to make me
+certain that the people in this place are wrong in their suspicions."
+
+"Whom do they suspect?" Jasper eagerly asked, thinking that perhaps he
+might learn something new.
+
+"Don't you know?"
+
+"Yes, I'm afraid I do," Jasper bitterly replied.  "But I can endure it
+if I know that you believe me to be innocent."
+
+"I certainly do, no matter what others think."
+
+"What proof have you?"
+
+"Your life; isn't that proof enough?"
+
+"It may be to you, but I'm afraid it will count but little at the
+trial."
+
+"At the trial!" Lois repeated in amazement.  "Surely you'll not be-----"
+
+"Arrested?" Jasper assisted, as Lois' voice faltered.
+
+"Yes, that's what I mean."
+
+"I'd like to know what's to prevent it.  Wasn't I with David the night
+he was murdered, and wasn't that envelope with my name on it found by
+his body?  Do you for one moment imagine that I can hope to escape a
+severe grilling and perhaps conviction with such evidence against me?"
+
+"But it isn't right," and Lois stamped her foot impatiently.  "It's
+only circumstantial evidence, and that shouldn't count."
+
+"But it does.  It has convicted many men before this.  But tell me, did
+you learn what is troubling Betty?"
+
+"It's about Mr. David, you know.  She grieves very much over his death.
+She loved the old man dearly, almost as if he were her own father."
+
+"I know she feels badly.  But isn't there something else troubling her
+as well?  Didn't you notice it?"
+
+"I did, but Betty would tell me nothing.  I believe she has been
+frightened in some way, for at times she started up in terror, and her
+whole body trembled.  I wonder what it can be!"
+
+Before Jasper could reply, an auto swung up the road and stopped near
+them.  There were two men in the car and almost intuitively Jasper knew
+that they were detectives.  They looked keenly at the two standing
+beneath the tree, and then asked the way to Captain Peterson's.  Jasper
+told them, and without another word they turned to the left and sped up
+to the house.
+
+"Who are they, do you suppose?" Lois asked.
+
+"They must be detectives," Jasper slowly replied.
+
+"Oh!"  It was all that Lois could say as she stood watching the car
+until it drew up before the Haven.
+
+"I shall go back to my cabin now," Jasper remarked.  "I expect Mr.
+Westcote shortly, and so I must be there when he arrives."
+
+Slowly they walked along the road to the gate leading to the Sinclair
+house.  For a while neither spoke.  Jasper realised that it would be a
+long time ere he would again be with her who was so dear to him.
+Perhaps never, for who could tell what the lap of the future might
+contain?  Lois was thinking of the same thing, and her heart was very
+heavy.  There came to her mind the words Margaret had so lightly spoken
+over the tea-cup.  Why had she not warned Jasper? she asked herself
+over and over again.  Never before had she fully comprehended what this
+man really meant to her.  He was the first one who had ever inspired
+her with the spirit of courage and endurance.  Not once had she heard
+him whine or complain but, in her presence at least, he had always
+appeared as master of his fate.  Now he was going from her, and she
+might never see him again.  But no matter what happened she was sure
+that he would bear himself manfully, and fight to the very last.
+
+Having reached the gate, they paused.  Both knew that the moment for
+parting had come and strange feelings stirred their hearts.  Jasper
+thought that Lois never looked so beautiful.  Oh, if he were only
+certain that she loved him.  If he could only take her in his arms and
+tell her of his love, and feel that his great love was returned; then
+he could go down into the dark valley of trouble, and perhaps death,
+with a braver heart.  But, no, it would not do for him to tell of his
+love now with such a shadow hanging over his head.  There were many
+things he longed to do, but all he did was to step forward, seize Lois'
+right hand in his, and press it fervently to his lips.  Instantly he
+realised his boldness.
+
+"Forgive me," he cried, "but I could not help it."
+
+"There is nothing to forgive," Lois quietly replied, though her heart
+was beating fast and her face was more flushed than usual.  "You had
+better go now, for Mr. Westcote may come at any moment.  Good-bye, and
+may God bless and keep you."
+
+That was the hardest parting Jasper had ever known.  But as he walked
+up the road a new spirit possessed his soul.  He knew what it was to
+fight, for he had fought all his life long.  But now he had the vision
+of a fair woman to sustain him, and for her sake, and to show her that
+he was worthy of her trust he would still fight the fiercest battle of
+all.  What the outcome would be he could not tell, but he was
+determined to bear himself in such a manner that Lois would never be
+ashamed of him.  He well knew that even a defeated man might be more of
+a conquerer than those who triumphed over him.  And even as he walked
+there flashed suddenly into his mind a vision of the Man of Sorrows
+bearing his cross.  Why had he not thought of Him before? he asked
+himself.  There was his example to follow; there was the One who was
+the victor even on the cross, and there was the One to whom he could
+now turn for comfort in the hour of his great need.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVII
+
+IN THE TOILS
+
+It was with a heavy heart that Lois made her way slowly toward the
+house.  She felt that many changes would take place before she would
+again see Jasper.  Not for an instant did she consider him guilty of
+murdering old David.  But she was well aware that others would think
+differently, and would be only too ready to condemn Jasper upon the
+slightest evidence.  An idea suddenly flashed into her mind, which
+caused her heart to beat quicker.  Some one was guilty of the murder,
+and that person must be found, whoever and wherever he was.  Was there
+not something that she could do? she asked herself.  Jasper must be
+saved, and who else would take such a real heart interest in the matter
+as herself?  She knew that a woman was not expected to undertake work
+of such a nature.  But Lois Sinclair had very little respect for social
+customs if they stood in the way of duty.
+
+During the day she had thought much about the murder and had tried to
+unravel the mystery connected with it.  Who was there in the place
+likely to commit such a cowardly deed, and what would be his motive?
+Old David had not an enemy, as far as she knew, and he had injured no
+one.  It was necessary for her to probe deeper still, and as she neared
+the house her mind brooded over this question.  She chided herself that
+she had not asked Jasper's opinion.  Perhaps he had some suspicion, for
+even upon the slightest clue important results might depend.
+
+Lois had reached the steps leading to the verandah when she happened to
+stop and look down toward the river.  As she did so, she started, for
+there near the shore, with his easel before him, was Sydney Bramshaw.
+Had she known of the stormy scene which had taken place between him and
+Jasper about an hour before she would have been more surprised to see
+him where he was.  He was seated facing the house, and thus could
+observe all that took place about the building.  If he saw Lois he gave
+no sign of recognition, but seemed to be entirely occupied with his
+work.
+
+The sight of this man had a remarkable effect upon Lois.  She had seen
+him but little of late, and to behold him now when she was thinking so
+much about the murder was most startling.  She entered the house as if
+nothing unusual were agitating her mind.  But with the door closed
+behind her, she hurried upstairs, where she found Margaret sitting in
+her room engaged upon some fancy-work.  It was a bright sunny room, and
+the girl sitting there by the open window presented a beautiful picture
+of peace and youthful charm.
+
+"What is the matter, dear?" she asked, pausing in her work, as she
+noted the troubled expression upon Lois' face.
+
+"Look," and Lois pointed toward the river, "there he is near the shore."
+
+"Well, what of it?" Margaret enquired with a smile.  "One would think
+that you had never seen a man before."
+
+"But not such a man as that, Margaret," and Lois sat down by the girl's
+side.  "Something tells me that he had much to do with the murder of
+poor old David."
+
+"Whatever put such a foolish notion as that into your head?" and
+Margaret looked keenly into Lois' face.
+
+"Sydney Bramshaw is merely a harmless artist, and wouldn't hurt a fly."
+
+"So you have always said.  You may be right, but my heart tells a
+different story, and it is hard for me not to believe it.  I am going
+to find out, anyway, if there is any justification for my suspicion of
+that man."
+
+"You!" and Margaret looked her astonishment.  "Why, what can you do?"
+
+"Perhaps nothing.  Anyway, I am going to try.  Something must be done
+at once if Mr. Randall is to be saved."  Lois then told Margaret all
+about the finding of David, of the envelope lying near the body, and
+how the people were accusing Jasper of the murder.
+
+When Mr. Sinclair and Dick came home they brought with them a copy of
+_The Evening News_, which contained a long account of the murder.
+Lois' hand trembled as she took the paper and saw the big startling
+headlines.  She feared lest Jasper's name should be mentioned in
+connection with the affair, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she
+saw that it did not appear.  The article merely said that a certain
+person was suspected and that the detectives were working on the case.
+
+"I'm afraid Spuds is in hot water," Dick remarked, as they all sat down
+to dinner.
+
+"What makes you think that?" Lois asked in a voice as calm as possible.
+
+"Oh, from what people are saying.  It's known all over the country that
+he was with Crazy David that night, and that they left the Haven and
+walked along the road together.  That in itself looks suspicious, for
+Spuds was the last person seen with old David."
+
+"Who saw them together?" Lois enquired, "and how did that information
+get abroad?"
+
+"The Petersons, I suppose, or that girl Betty told it."
+
+"But do you suppose some one else saw them together?  Have you thought
+of that?"
+
+"I don't catch the drift of your meaning," and Dick looked enquiringly
+at his sister.
+
+"Suppose there was some one else near the road that night watching Mr.
+Randall and David as they walked along?  And suppose, further, that
+when the old man was going back alone to the Haven some one had killed
+him?"
+
+"Good heavens, Lois! you make my blood run cold.  Why should you
+suggest such a thing?"
+
+"But you don't believe that Mr. Randall killed David, do you?"
+
+"No, no!  I couldn't for a moment think that Spuds would do such a
+thing."
+
+"Well, then, some one must have done it in a way similar to what I have
+said."
+
+"Sure, I never thought of that.  But who do you suppose did it?"
+
+"That's for us to find out."
+
+"Us?"
+
+"Yes, why not?  Isn't it right to stick by our friends in their time of
+need?"
+
+"But what can we do?"
+
+"That remains to be seen."
+
+"But what about that envelope, Lois?  How do you I suppose it got
+there?  That looks queer, doesn't it?"
+
+"That's another part of the mystery to be solved, that's all."
+
+The next day was an exciting one, for all kinds of rumours were afloat,
+and at times Lois hardly knew what to believe.  But there were several
+things about which there was no doubt.  She learned that an inquest had
+been held over David's body, and that it had been decided that David
+Findlay had met his death at the hands of some unknown person or
+persons.  There was nothing more left to be done but to give the body a
+decent burial.
+
+The funeral was held that afternoon, and it seemed that the entire
+parish turned out.  It was a fine mild summer day, but notwithstanding
+that the farmers left their fields and attended the funeral.  Lois and
+Betty walked together to the church, and as they passed Jasper's cabin
+they looked across the field, thinking they might see some one there.
+But not a sign of life could they behold.
+
+The service in the church was brief and solemn, and Betty found it very
+difficult to control her feelings.  At the grave side she broke down
+completely, and Lois had to lead her away to a quiet spot.
+
+"Poor Mr. David!" the girl moaned.  "I shall never see him again.  He
+was so good to me."
+
+"There, there, dear," Lois soothed.  "If he were alive he would not
+wish you to feel so badly.  He is at rest, anyway."
+
+"I know that, but I miss him so much.  Oh, why was he taken?"
+
+For some time they sat there, Betty sobbing out her grief, and Lois
+trying to sooth her, at the same time wondering what had become of
+Jasper.  If he had not gone away it was strange that he was not at the
+funeral.  The people leaving the grave passed close to the spot where
+they were sitting, and many were the curious glances cast in their
+direction.  Several women stopped to speak to them, among whom was Mrs.
+Wadell, noted all over the parish for her fondness for gossip, as well
+as for meddling in the affairs of others.
+
+"So ye feel bad, do ye?" and she fixed her piercing eyes upon Betty's
+tear-stained face.  "I wouldn't feel bad fer such as him," and she
+jerked her thumb toward the grave.
+
+"But I do," Betty protested.  "He was good to me, and now he is gone."
+
+"I guess ye'll like him better now that he's gone," Mrs. Wadell
+remarked.  "I know I should, anyway, if he'd done as handsome by me as
+he's done by you."
+
+"Why, what do you mean?" Betty asked in surprise.
+
+"Why, about the money he's left ye.  It's a snug sum, so I understand,
+and I suppose it'll make ye put on mighty fine airs, so's ye won't
+speak to common folks any more."
+
+Lois now became much interested in the words of this garrulous old
+woman, and she was anxious to know more, and where she had obtained her
+information.
+
+"How did you hear that?" she asked.
+
+"Land sakes, don't ask me sich a question as that, Miss," was the
+evasive reply.  "How could I begin to tell ye where I hear things, fer
+the air is full of all kinds of stories to-day.  But I guess it's true
+all right."
+
+"I didn't know that Mr. David had made a will.  That is a surprise to
+me."
+
+"And indeed it is to everybody else, Miss.  We didn't think that Crazy
+David had anything to leave.  Why he was sold as a pauper to Jim Goban
+in this very parish about a year ago.  But that isn't the only thing
+that surprises me."
+
+"What, is there something more?"
+
+"There surely is, Miss.  It's reported that he's left a hull lot to
+that Randall feller.  I guess he knew how to work his cards all right
+with the old man.  He didn't take an interest in him fer nuthin', oh,
+no.  People don't generally do sich things these days fer love."
+
+"Mr. Jasper hadn't anything to do with that will," Betty angrily
+protested.  "He didn't know anything about it, neither did I."
+
+"Oh, you wouldn't know," and the old woman gave a sarcastic chuckle.
+"He wouldn't want people to know what he was doin'.  He was cute enough
+fer that.  And then to think that he should kill Crazy David to git his
+money.  Why the poor old man couldn't have lived much longer, anyway."
+
+"You lie!" and Betty, trembling in every limb, sprang to her feet.
+"Mr. Jasper didn't do it.  I tell you he didn't, and you have no right
+to say such things."
+
+"Come, Betty," Lois remarked, rising to her feet and taking the girl by
+the arm, "let us go home."
+
+"Ye may not believe me," the old woman called after them as they walked
+away, "but ye'll soon find out fer yerselves, and then maybe ye won't
+talk so big and mighty."
+
+Betty was going to reply, but Lois checked her.
+
+"I wouldn't say anything more, dear," she advised.  "We must expect
+people to talk and imagine all sorts of things.  Let us be brave and
+hope for the best."
+
+"But I can't bear to hear them say such awful things about Mr. Jasper,"
+the girl sobbed.  "I'm sure he didn't get Mr. David to make his will,
+and then kill him to get the money."
+
+"So am I, Betty.  But I'm afraid we'll be the only ones who think so.
+We'll stand by him, anyway, and do all we can for him, won't we?"
+
+Lois suddenly stopped and her face went pale.  They had now come in
+sight of Jasper's cabin, and near it were several men.  On the road
+were most of the people who had been at the funeral.  That they were
+greatly excited was quite evident.  In an instant Lois realised the
+meaning of it all, and she clutched Betty by the arm in the intensity
+of her emotion.
+
+"They are going to arrest him!"  Her voice was hoarse, and she spoke
+scarcely above a whisper.
+
+"Who?" Betty asked in surprise, not fully comprehending the meaning of
+her words.
+
+"The constables are after Mr. Randall," Lois explained.  "There they
+are now!" she cried.  "They are coming from the house, and he is
+walking between them."
+
+"Are they going to put him in prison?" the girl asked.
+
+"Yes, I'm afraid so."
+
+With a wild cry, Betty sprang forward and rushed up the road.  Lois
+followed, wondering what the girl was going to do.  She reached the
+crowd just as Jasper and the constables approached, and stood there a
+silent watcher.  What could she do? she asked herself.  Would he see
+her, and know of her sympathy?
+
+Jasper was walking with a free easy motion, closely guarded by the two
+constables, one of whom was Jim Goban.  His face was pale and he looked
+very careworn, but he held his head erect and kept his eyes straight
+before him.  Betty standing near, rushed suddenly forward and caught
+him by the hand.
+
+"Oh, Mr. Jasper," she cried, "we know you didn't do at, and I want to
+tell you so."
+
+Taken by surprise, Jasper paused and looked at the girl.
+
+"Thank you," he replied.  "I am glad you believe in me."
+
+"And so does Miss Lois," Betty explained.  "She's standing right
+there," and she motioned to the right.
+
+Jasper turned, saw Lois, and their eyes met.  Not a word did they say,
+but in that fleeting glance the expression that he saw in the eyes of
+the woman he loved gave him great comfort and courage.
+
+"Git out of the way, girl," Jim Goban brutally ordered.  "What d'ye
+mean by stoppin' us in our duty?  We'll miss the boat if we don't
+hurry."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVIII
+
+LIGHT BREAKS
+
+Lois stood and watched Jasper and the constables until a bend in the
+road hid them from view.  Then taking Betty by the hand, she moved away
+from the crowd.  She could not bear to listen to their animated
+discussions as to what would happen to the prisoner, for she was well
+aware that most of them believed him to be guilty.  She walked quite
+fast until the path across the field was reached.  This led along the
+edge of a grove of young maples and birches, and here was a restful
+seclusion from all prying eyes.
+
+"You must come and have dinner with me, Betty," she said, speaking for
+the first time since leaving the crowd.  "You will be lonely at the
+Haven now, and I would like to have you for company, as Miss Westcote
+has gone to the city."
+
+"Oh, may I?" and the girl lifted her tear-dimmed eyes to her
+companion's face.  "How nice that will be, and we can talk together
+about him, can't we?  I must go home soon, for mother will be anxious
+to see me.  She hasn't been well lately and wasn't able to get to the
+funeral.  I must do what I can to help her."
+
+"You will not have to work out any more, I suppose," Lois remarked.
+
+"Why?" the girl asked.
+
+"Because of the money Mr. David has left you.  You remember what Mrs.
+Wadell said, don't you?"
+
+"Oh, yes," and Betty fixed her eyes thoughtfully upon the ground.  "I
+have been thinking about that.  But do you think I should use that
+money on myself?"
+
+"Why, certainly; what else should you do with it?"
+
+"But Mr. Jasper will need it, will he not?"
+
+"In what way?"
+
+"Won't he need a lawyer to help him?  I know it costs so much to get a
+lawyer for mother has told me so.  We must do all we can to save him."
+
+A mistiness came into Lois' eyes as Betty uttered these words.  She
+suddenly stopped, put her arms lovingly around the girl, and tenderly
+kissed her.
+
+"You precious dear," she cried.  "How sweet it is of you to think of
+him, and I am most grateful to you.  But I do not think you need worry
+about paying the lawyer.  I am sure Mr. Westcote will look after that."
+
+"Oh, do you think he will?" and the girl breathed a sigh of relief.
+Then her face clouded, and that worried expression again came into her
+eyes.
+
+"What will they do with Mr. Jasper?" she enquired.
+
+"I can't say," was the low reply.
+
+"Will they keep him in prison a long time, or will they----?"
+
+"Don't say that word!" Lois cried, clutching Betty firmly by the arm.
+"I know what you were going to say, and I can't bear to hear it."
+
+They were walking slowly now along the narrow path, bordered by waving
+grass.  Birds sang in the trees to their left and butterflies flitted
+here and there over the broad fields.  It was a scene of peace and
+contentment.  Nature was in her most attractive mood and seemed to care
+nothing for the cares of struggling humanity.  At any other time Lois
+would have rejoiced in the beauty around her and would have revelled in
+the glory of earth and sky.  But now it was otherwise.  How could she
+be happy when her heart was so heavy?  She knew the cause, and she was
+not ashamed to confess it to herself.  In fact, it brought a slight ray
+of comfort to feel that she was suffering with him.
+
+They had almost reached the house when a boy was seen approaching.  He
+carried a note in his hand, which he gave at once to Lois.
+
+"It's from Mr. Forbes," he explained, "and he told me to hustle, and
+take an answer back as quick as I can."
+
+Lois read the note, which simply stated that she was wanted at the
+telephone.
+
+"Tell Mr. Forbes that I shall be there shortly," she told the boy, at
+the same time handing him a coin for his trouble in carrying the
+message.
+
+Hurrying into the house in order to leave word with the maid where she
+was going in case any one should call, Lois started with Betty for the
+store.  There was no more loitering now as she was anxious to learn who
+wanted her on the phone.  It was rarely that any one called her up, and
+she was hoping that it might be Margaret to tell her that she was
+coming back that evening.
+
+On their way they came to the grove at the top of the hill not far from
+the Haven.  Here Betty stopped, and stood as if hesitating what to do.
+
+"I think I shall leave you, Miss Lois," she said.
+
+"What, are you not going with me to the store?"
+
+"No, I guess not.  I will see you later.  I want to go to my room now
+to think something over."
+
+She was trembling as she said this, and Lois wondered what was the
+matter with her.  Then an idea flashed into her mind.  Was she afraid
+to go past the artist's tent? she asked herself.  There could surely be
+nothing else which would cause her to leave her and go to the
+loneliness of her own room.  She said nothing to Betty, however, of her
+thoughts, but bade her good-bye and hurried on her way.
+
+Coming at length to the spot where Bramshaw had been living, she
+glanced to the left as if expecting to see him.  But no sign of him did
+she see, and great was her surprise to find that his tent was gone.
+She rubbed her eyes, thinking that she had not seen aright.  But, no,
+there was no mistake.  Bramshaw had gone, and had taken all his
+belongings with him.  This was strange, and as she walked along she
+began to muse as to where he had gone and the purpose of his hasty
+departure.  Had it anything to do with the murder of old David? she
+wondered.
+
+Lois was thinking of these things as she reached the store, where she
+met Andy Forbes.
+
+"Do you know what has become of the artist?" she enquired.
+
+"Isn't he up the road?" Andy asked in reply.
+
+"His tent has been removed, and so I suppose he has gone with it."
+
+"Gone!" he exclaimed in surprise.  "Why, when did he go?"
+
+"I haven't the least idea."
+
+"Well, I guess there must be something in it after all," Andy mused as
+if to himself.
+
+"In what?" Lois questioned, wondering what the man meant.
+
+"I'll tell you in a minute, Miss Sinclair, but you'd better read this
+first," and the storekeeper handed her a piece of paper.  "It's the
+telephone message," he explained.
+
+Lois took the paper in her hand, and read.  It was from Mr. Westcote,
+containing a request that she should go to the city the next day if she
+possibly could, as he wished to see her on important business.
+
+"Why didn't you send this with the boy?" Lois enquired, somewhat
+annoyed.  "It would have saved my coming here."
+
+But Andy did not notice her annoyance, for something seemed to be
+troubling him.
+
+"Would you mind coming into the house?" he asked.  "My wife will look
+after the store for a few minutes.  There is an important matter I wish
+to speak to you about."
+
+Opening the door to the right, he ushered her at once into a small
+sitting-room.  It was a cosy place, and here she found Mrs. Forbes, a
+bright-eyed little woman, seated at the window facing the road, doing
+some sewing.  Lois knew her very well as one of the quiet thoughtful
+women, of Creekdale, and who was of such great assistance to her
+husband.
+
+"It is too bad to disturb you," Lois apologised, when Andy had asked
+her to look after the store for a short time.
+
+"Oh, I do not mind," she pleasantly replied.  "I am so glad you have
+come, for I have been most anxious for Andy to have a talk with you.
+Sit down, please," and she motioned to a chair.
+
+Andy did not sit down but walked up and down the room, as was his
+custom when greatly excited.  Presently he paused and looked keenly
+into Lois' expectant face.
+
+"It's something very serious I've got to tell you, Miss Sinclair," he
+began.  "In fact, it's so serious that I have been doubting for some
+time whether I should tell anybody about it.  But when I told my wife
+this afternoon she advised me to tell you, and so that's the reason why
+I asked you to come here."
+
+"Has it anything to do with the murder case?" Lois asked, now much
+interested.
+
+"Yes, I believe it will have, and that is what makes me so worried,
+because I don't want to get tangled up in that nasty affair."
+
+"Tell me what it is," Lois suggested, impatient to learn what it really
+was.
+
+"Well, it has to do with that envelope."
+
+"Oh!"  Lois was more interested than ever now.
+
+"Yes, that's what it is about.  You see, Randall came to the office one
+day last week, and there was a letter for him from his company.  I know
+that much about it for their name was on the top left hand corner.
+Randall opened the letter right in the store and dropped the envelope
+on the floor, and didn't pay any more heed to it.  I've seen him do the
+same thing several times and so I didn't pay any special attention to
+it.  Now, Randall hadn't been gone very long before that artist came
+for his mail.  There was nothing for him and he seemed very surly and
+said a few cuss words about people not writing.  As he was standing
+there talking I saw him stoop and pick up the envelope Randall had
+dropped.  He didn't know that I saw him doing it, for I was busy with
+the mail though I was watching him all the time out of the corner of my
+eye, for I never liked the fellow.  I saw him glance at me, and when he
+felt sure that I didn't notice what he was doing he slipped that
+envelope into an inside pocket of his coat."
+
+When Andy began his story Lois was sitting with her hands clasped
+before her and her eyes fixed full upon his face.  But before he had
+finished she had risen to her feet greatly agitated.
+
+"Are you sure that is the same letter that was found by David's side?"
+she asked in a hoarse whisper.
+
+"I couldn't swear that it was," Andy slowly replied.  "Anyway, it looks
+very much like it, and the name of the company is on the left-hand
+corner, just as it was on the one which Randall dropped on the floor
+and Bramshaw picked up."
+
+"It must have been the same one," Lois emphatically declared.  "Oh, I
+am so thankful that you have told me this.  I am sure it will go a long
+way toward saving Mr. Randall."
+
+"I can't swear though that it's the same envelope," Andy repeated.
+
+"But you will be willing to swear to what you have just told me, will
+you not?" Lois asked.
+
+"Sure.  I'd swear to that any time and anywhere."
+
+"Thank you," and Lois breathed a sigh of relief.  "I feel quite certain
+that it will be valuable evidence."
+
+"Now, I wonder what that chap wanted that envelope for?" Andy mused.
+
+"To leave it by old David's body, of course, and to throw the blame on
+Mr. Randall."
+
+"Yes, that no doubt was his idea.  But why did he want to do that?  And
+if he committed that deed, why did he do it?  What object did he have
+in murdering an innocent old man who never injured anybody, as far as I
+know?"
+
+"That is the puzzling thing which must be solved," Lois replied.  "But
+I must go home now, Mr. Forbes, and I thank you very much for what you
+have told me this afternoon."
+
+She left the store with a lighter heart than she had entered it, and
+walked briskly up the road.  She somehow felt that what Andy had told
+her would be of great value in freeing Jasper and bringing home the
+crime to the right person.  But something more must be done, and she
+knew that it would be quite necessary to find the motive which prompted
+Bramshaw to pick up that letter and to commit the deed.
+
+As Lois came to the road leading to the Haven, she found Betty waiting
+there for her.  The girl seemed brighter than she had been since the
+night of the murder, and Lois wondered what was the cause of it.  Had
+she heard some good news? she asked herself.
+
+"Oh, Miss Lois," Betty cried, "I have been waiting a long time for you
+and I thought you would never come.  May I go home with you?"
+
+"Certainly, I shall be delighted to have you.  But you look brighter,
+Betty, than you did when I left you.  Have you heard anything new?"
+
+"Oh, yes, Miss Lois, I have," the girl replied.  "The captain told me
+that he has gone away."
+
+"Who?" Lois enquired.
+
+"The artist!  Just think of that!  He has cleared out, and taken
+everything with him."
+
+"Why should that make you so happy, Betty?"
+
+"Because he can't hurt me now."
+
+"Why, did he ever try to hurt you?"
+
+"Oh, yes, he said he would kill me if I told on him."
+
+"Kill you!" Lois exclaimed, stopping short.  "If you told on him!  I do
+not understand you."
+
+"Hush," and the girl raised a warning finger and looked apprehensively
+around.  "Don't speak too loud.  I am really afraid yet.  But I know he
+can't hurt me because he has gone."
+
+"No, he won't hurt you, Betty.  I will see that he doesn't.  Tell me
+when he said he would kill you."
+
+"The night I went to meet Mr. David."
+
+"Oh!"
+
+"Yes, I was hurrying along the road just up there when I heard some one
+coming toward me.  I was sure it was Mr. David, and so I rushed up to
+him and called out his name.  Instead of Mr. David it was the artist,
+just think of that!  My, he was surprised when he found who I was.  He
+was so excited that he caught me by the arm so hard that I cried out
+with pain and fear."
+
+"He did?"
+
+"Yes; and he said he would kill me if I ever told that I had met him
+there on the road that night.  He said that nothing could save me from
+him, and oh, how he did curse and swear what he would do.  He made my
+blood run cold."
+
+"And did you promise that you wouldn't tell?" Lois asked.
+
+"No, indeed I didn't!  I jerked myself suddenly away from him and ran
+home as hard as I could.  He ran after me, but he didn't catch me.  I
+was so afraid to look for Mr. David after that.  I stayed in the house
+till near midnight before I went out again."
+
+"So that was what was troubling you so much, was it?" Lois asked.
+
+"Yes.  I was afraid that he would kill me.  I guess I'm a coward
+anyway.  But when I saw the constables take Mr. Jasper away this
+afternoon I made up my mind to tell you all about it.  I don't mind now
+if the artist does kill me if I can save Mr. Jasper.  Anyway, I am glad
+that he has cleared out."
+
+"Don't be afraid, Betty, he will not hurt you at all," and Lois put her
+arms lovingly around the girl.  "I am so thankful that you have told me
+this.  Come, now, and let us go home."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIX
+
+LOIS GOES TO THE CITY
+
+Betty's story filled Lois with still greater hope, and she was anxious
+to see Jasper's lawyer that she might tell him what she had learned.
+For most of the night she thought about the matter, and she tried to
+find some reason why Bramshaw should commit the murder.  She thought,
+too, of Jasper, and wondered how he was bearing himself in his lonely
+cell.  She longed to speak to him and tell him of the discovery she had
+made.  She knew that his mental suffering must be great, and she did
+want to help him to bear his trouble.
+
+Lois learned from her father and Dick upon their arrival from the city
+what a strong feeling was abroad against Jasper.  People condemned him
+in no measured language, and denounced him as a dastardly villain who
+deserved the severest punishment.  Mr. Sinclair told of the
+conversation he had with several people along the road, and how all
+were loud in their severe denunciations.  Even the city papers,
+following the popular cry, had editorials about the murder.  Though
+they did not mention Jasper by name, yet their allusions were so
+pointed that no one could mistake their meaning.  All united in
+condemning the criminal and declaring that the deed was all the more
+abhorrent owing to the age of the murdered man and the friendly
+relations which had existed between him and his suspected assailant.
+
+All this was very hard for Lois to endure.  It annoyed her to think how
+willing people were to condemn a man and judge him worthy of death
+before he had received a fair trial.  She had a secret satisfaction,
+however, in the information Andy and Betty had imparted to her.  It
+buoyed her up with the hope that it would greatly assist in freeing
+Jasper and clearing him entirely from all blame.  It was only natural
+that she should desire to see the ones who condemned him so severely
+put to an ignominious silence.  She smiled almost bitterly as she
+thought how they would come about Jasper with their smooth, oily words
+of congratulation when he again came into their midst.
+
+In the morning Lois went to the city with her father and Dick.  She
+enjoyed the ride in the fresh air and she was somewhat sorry when she
+alighted from the car in front of her father's office.  Dick wanted to
+drive her around to Mr. Westcote's house as he was most anxious to see
+Margaret.  He had not met her for two days, and to him it seemed a very
+long time.  But as Lois had some shopping to do, she preferred to walk.
+
+"I'll be around this afternoon, though," Dick told her.
+
+"Oh, I know you will," was the laughing reply.  "Shall I tell her?"
+
+"Yes, do, Lois.  She's great, isn't she?"
+
+"She certainly is, Dick.  But I must hurry away now," she added as she
+saw that her brother was anxious to talk more about Margaret.
+
+It did not take Lois long to do her shopping, and she was just leaving
+the store when she met Mrs. Dingle face to face.  Had she seen her
+sooner she would have made a desperate effort to escape her.  But there
+was nothing for her to do now but to submit with the best grace
+possible.
+
+"Oh, isn't it lovely to see you, dear," Mrs. Dingle effusively cried,
+as she gave her a peck-like kiss upon the right cheek.  "We have been
+talking so much about you lately.  Sammie is fairly crazy to see you,
+and you must be prepared for a visit from him as soon as he learns you
+are in town.  I am so thankful that I have such a dutiful son.  He is
+quite a comfort to me, and I am sure any woman would be proud to have
+him for a husband.  There are so many bad men these days that we
+appreciate a good one when we find him.  We knew that you would come
+back to the city."
+
+"What made you think that?" Lois enquired as Mrs. Dingle paused an
+instant for breath.
+
+"To get away from that horrid country place, of course, where that
+terrible murder was committed.  I hope they have that villain securely
+locked up."
+
+"What villain?" Lois asked.
+
+"Why the one who killed that poor old man for his money."
+
+"No, he is not locked up yet."
+
+"But I heard that he is.  Surely he hasn't escaped!" and Mrs. Dingle
+held up her well-gloved hands.
+
+"No, he isn't in prison yet," Lois calmly replied.  "But there is an
+innocent man there, though, I am sorry to say."
+
+"Do you mean that uncouth fellow Sammie was telling me about?"
+
+"I am not referring to any uncouth fellow, Mrs. Dingle, but merely to
+Mr. Jasper Randall, a gentleman and a friend of mine."
+
+"Oh, I didn't know that," and Mrs. Dingle looked her surprise as well
+as her embarrassment.  "All I know is what Sammie told me."
+
+"What did Sammie tell you?"  Lois voice was sharp as she asked the
+question.
+
+"I can't remember all.  But he said that he was brought up on a farm,
+had to work his way through college, and that sort of thing, you know.
+As he is not of our set, of course I did not pay much attention to what
+Sammie told me."
+
+Lois was both angry and disgusted at this woman.  Oh, how she longed to
+tell her something that she would not soon forget.  How she was tempted
+to place Jasper and Sammie side by side and compare them; the one an
+insignificant, brainless, useless, overdressed nincompoop; the other a
+strong, self-reliant, masterful man, fighting against fate with face to
+the front and head erect.
+
+"Excuse me, Mrs. Dingle," she said, "I am in a great hurry this
+morning.  And I am afraid if I stay I may say something to hurt your
+feelings.  Mr. Randall is a friend of mine, and I have great respect
+for him.  I have always made it a point of being loyal to my friends,
+and adversity is the test of friendship."
+
+Mrs. Dingle stared in amazement after Lois.  She could not understand
+what had come over the girl, and at luncheon she discussed the matter
+with Sammie.
+
+"You must see her at once, dear," she told him.  "It would not do to
+lose her, for her father is very rich and she is his only daughter.  I
+am afraid she thinks a great deal of that uncouth fellow who has been
+arrested."
+
+"Hm," her son grunted.  "Don't you worry one bit.  Spuds'll be fixed
+all right.  The noose is hanging over his head and just ready to drop,
+I was talking to some of the fellows to-day and they say that he's a
+goner, and that nothing can save him.  Oh, by the way, Ma, I saw
+Bramshaw to-day."
+
+"You did!" his mother replied in surprise.  "Why I thought he had left
+the city."
+
+"So he did; but he's back now all right."
+
+"Where did you meet him?"
+
+"Just as he was coming out of the C. P. R. ticket office.  He was in a
+great hurry and had no time to stop and talk."
+
+"You must find out where he is staying, Sammie, and invite him to come
+and see us.  He is a very distinguished young man, you know; an artist
+of wide reputation, and it makes a favourable impression to have such a
+man visit us.  He is a gentleman, and not like that uncouth man who
+committed that terrible crime at Creekdale."
+
+"But I don't believe he'll be here long, Ma," Sammie replied.
+
+"Why, what makes you think that?"
+
+"I guess he's leaving the city.  He must have been at the office
+getting his ticket when I met him.  No doubt he is going on this
+evening's train."
+
+"He is visiting some of the big cities, no doubt, Sammie.  A man like
+that could not be expected to remain in a small place like this.
+People must be anxious to see the man who has painted such famous
+pictures."
+
+"Have you seen any of them, Ma?" her son asked.
+
+"Oh, no.  But he has told me about them, and they must be great from
+what he said.  He has sold a great many at large prices, but the most
+valuable he keeps in his mansion in England, so he informed me.  He
+said that he regretted that he had not brought several with him, but
+the risk was too great, and the pictures were so big that it was
+difficult to transport them so far."
+
+"H'm," Sammie grunted, as he went on with his luncheon, and nothing
+more was said then about the artist.
+
+Lois found Margaret at home and they had luncheon together.  There was
+only one topic of conversation, and Lois told of the information she
+had received from Andy and Betty Bean.
+
+"Have you any idea what your father wishes to see me about?" she asked.
+"I am quite curious to know."
+
+"I really don't know," and Margaret shook her head.  "He generally
+tells me his secret plans because he knows that I will not divulge
+them."
+
+"You will go with me to his office this afternoon, will you not?"
+
+"Certainly, if you care to have me.  Father generally gets his luncheon
+out and is somewhat late getting back to his office.  Wait a minute,
+dear, while I phone and tell him you are here."
+
+Margaret was gone only a few minutes, and when she returned she resumed
+her seat at the table.
+
+"Father will be back in his office at one-thirty," she began, "and he
+says that I may go with you.  Lois, I have something important to tell
+you."  Here she dropped her voice and looked apprehensively around the
+room.  "Since you told me about that letter and Betty's fright I have
+been doing some serious thinking.  You say that Sydney Bramshaw has
+left Creekdale?"
+
+"Yes.  He cleared out, tent and baggage."
+
+"Have you any idea where he is?"
+
+"No.  But I am afraid he is far away by this time."
+
+"Well, he isn't.  He's in the city now."
+
+"In the city!" Lois repeated in surprise.
+
+"Yes.  I met Sammie Dingle on the street this morning, and he told me
+that he met Bramshaw coming out of the C. P. R. ticket office."
+
+"Oh!"
+
+"Yes, that's what he told me.  I did not think anything about it at the
+time, but I see things in a different light now.  He must be planning
+to leave the city on the evening train, and if he once gets across the
+Border it will be difficult to find him.  You should tell father all
+you know, and I am sure he will take action at once."
+
+"And will he have Bramshaw arrested?" Lois asked.
+
+"What else will there be to do?  It would not do to let him escape with
+such evidence against him.  It will be necessary for him to explain
+about that letter and his suspicious actions and threat to Betty.  We
+have really no time to lose.  My, I am getting interested and excited."
+
+"For my part," Lois replied, "I believe he is the guilty man.  But I
+cannot understand the motive of his crime.  If we knew that it might
+lead to greater discoveries.  You see, in reference to that envelope it
+will be merely one man's word against another.  Andy will swear that he
+saw him pick up an envelope which Mr. Randall dropped on the floor, but
+he cannot swear that it is the same one that was found by the side of
+the murdered man.  Bramshaw will also swear that he never met Betty
+that night on the road.  His lawyer will not overlook anything, mark my
+word.  It will be only circumstantial evidence after all, and it may
+not have much effect."
+
+"Keep up courage, Lois," Margaret encouraged.  "You have accomplished a
+great deal in a short time, and I know that father's lawyer has not
+been idle."
+
+"Has he found out anything yet?" Lois eagerly asked.
+
+"I am afraid not.  There has not been much time, you see.  But he is a
+very able man and will leave no stone unturned.  But, come, dear, it is
+time for us to get ready.  We must not keep father waiting as he is
+very busy these days."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXX
+
+A STRANGE COMMISSION
+
+Robert Westcote did not go to his luncheon the day of Lois' visit to
+the city.  He intended to go but was unexpectedly detained.  He had
+been very busy all the morning in his office.  His lawyer had been with
+him for some time, and when he was at last alone he turned his
+attention to a type-written manuscript lying on the desk before him.
+This consisted of several sheets of legal paper, attached to which was
+an official seal which had been recently broken.  This was the third
+time that Mr. Westcote had read it and when he was through he sat for a
+while in deep thought.  He paid no attention to the click of the
+typewriters in the adjoining room, and so engrossed was he that he did
+not at first hear a tap upon the office door.  When it was repeated, he
+started from his reverie and called to the visitor to enter, thinking
+that perhaps it was one of the clerks.  It was not his habit to be
+caught off guard, for he prided himself upon his alertness and strict
+attention to every business detail.
+
+The office door slowly opened, and instead of a clerk, there stood
+before him a man dressed in rough working clothes.  He recognised him
+at once as one of the men employed at the falls, and whom he had met on
+several occasions.  It was Mr. Westcote's kindness and courtesy which
+always won for him the hearty support of his employees.  They knew that
+they would receive justice and consideration at his hands and that he
+did not look upon them with contempt and as inferior beings.  Mr.
+Westcote at once arose from his chair and held out his hand.
+
+"Why, Dobbins," he exclaimed, "this is a surprise.  I did not know you
+were in the city.  How are things going on at the falls?  Nothing
+wrong, I hope?  Sit down, please," and he motioned him to a chair.
+
+"The work is going on all right, sir," Dobbins replied, as he took the
+offered seat.  "But I have come to see you, sir, on very important
+business.  It has troubled me so much that I have not been able to
+sleep ever since Randall was arrested."
+
+"Oh, I see, it has to do with that murder case, has it?" Mr. Westcote
+asked, now greatly interested.
+
+"I wouldn't like to say that, sir," and Dobbins twirled his hat in his
+hands.  "But it might throw some light upon the matter.  You see,
+somebody killed old David.  That's certain, isn't it?"
+
+Mr. Westcote nodded his assent.
+
+"Well, if you knew for sure that somebody had tried to but a short time
+before, it would make you rather suspicious of that somebody, wouldn't
+it?"
+
+"I should say so!" Mr. Westcote exclaimed.  "But do you know of any one
+who made the attempt, Dobbins?"
+
+"You can judge of that, sir, when you hear what I have to say.  It was
+this way.  The day of the big wind I was sent to the shore to get a
+piece of mill belting, which was to come from the city on the afternoon
+boat.  I had almost reached the brow of logs on the edge of the
+clearing when I stopped to get a drink from that little spring by the
+side of the road.  I sat down for a minute or two under the shade of a
+small thick fir tree to fill my pipe, when happening to glance to my
+left I saw a man running up the road.  I at once saw it was that artist
+fellow, and curious to know what he was running for I moved back a
+little behind the fir so's he couldn't see me.  He stopped right by the
+logs and peered down the bank.  Then he looked cautiously around and,
+picking up a stick, he pried loose one of the logs lying on top, and
+which was almost ready to go anyway.  As soon as he had done this, he
+dropped the stick and ran like a streak of lightning down the road, and
+that was the last I saw of him."
+
+"Well?" Mr. Westcote questioned as Dobbins paused and wiped the
+perspiration from his forehead with a big red handkerchief.
+
+"This is the part, sir, which I am ashamed to tell," the man continued.
+"I heard the crash of that log down the bank and the splash in the
+water.  Then there fell upon my ears a shriek of terror.  I knew it was
+a woman's voice and I leaped from my hiding place and peeked down the
+bank.  And there I saw old David and that girl Betty Bean standing
+there frightened almost out of their senses.  Say, I wasn't long
+getting back under cover again, for I knew that if they saw me they
+would say for sure that I had rolled that log down the bank on purpose.
+I didn't dare to go to the shore on the road so I cut up through the
+woods and came out another way.  I didn't dare to say a word about it
+for fear I might get into trouble.  But when young Randall, who is a
+chap we all think a lot of, was arrested for the murder of that old man
+I couldn't sleep a wink.  If that artist fellow tried to kill old David
+once he would try again, and put the blame off on some one else.  At
+last I could stand it no longer and so made up my mind to tell you all
+I know.  You can judge now, sir, for yourself."
+
+Mr. Westcote was greatly excited at this story, though outwardly he
+remained very calm.  Twice during the narration he had glanced at the
+manuscript lying upon the desk, and once he had reached out his hand as
+if to pick it up.  For a few seconds he remained silent when the story
+was ended.  Then he rose to his feet and reached out his hand.
+
+"Dobbins," he began, "I wish to thank you for what you have told me
+to-day.  You have done a good deed by thus unburdening your mind.  Will
+you be willing to swear to what you have just told me?"
+
+"Swear!  Indeed I will.  I'll swear on a dozen Bibles any time and
+anywhere."
+
+"That's good," Mr. Westcote replied, as he bade him good-day.  "We
+shall need you before long, if I'm not much mistaken, so be ready."
+
+Dobbins had scarcely left the office when Lois and Margaret arrived.
+
+"My, how the morning has gone!" Mr. Westcote remarked as he greeted
+Lois with a hearty shake of the hand.  "I suppose we had better get
+down to business at once, as no doubt you wish to go home this
+afternoon.  I hope you will pardon my sending for you and giving you
+all this trouble."
+
+"I do not mind in the least," Lois replied, "for I am sure it has
+something to do with the murder, and I am so anxious to learn whether
+you have found out anything new."
+
+"Only something this morning, Miss Sinclair, which may be of
+considerable value.  I trust that we may unearth more in a few days."
+
+"Oh, don't wait for a few days, Mr. Westcote," Lois pleaded.  "You must
+act at once, this very afternoon, if the criminal is to be caught."
+
+"How can we, Miss Sinclair," was the reply, "when we are not sure who
+the real criminal is?"
+
+"But I know, and I think you will agree with me when I tell you my
+story.  Listen."
+
+Lois then related what she had heard from Andy Forbes and Betty Bean.
+She told her story well and Mr. Westcote was keenly interested not only
+in what she told him, but in the animated look in her eyes and the
+varying shades of expression which passed over her fair face.  He
+considered Jasper a lucky fellow in having such a beautiful woman
+striving so hard for his release.
+
+When Lois had finished, Mr. Westcote turned to his desk and drew the
+telephone toward him.
+
+"What you tell me, Miss Sinclair," he said, "is very valuable, and I
+must see my lawyer at once.  Excuse me a moment."
+
+After he had called up the lawyer and asked him to come at once to his
+office, he hung up the receiver and sat for a few seconds lost in deep
+thought.
+
+"Yes, we had better do it at once," he remarked as if to himself.  "It
+will not do to run any risk."
+
+"Do what, Father?" Margaret enquired.
+
+"Have that Bramshaw detained.  I have received some additional
+information to-day, and with what Miss Sinclair has just told me it
+should be enough to arrest any man.  Now, I must come to the question I
+wish to speak to you about," and he turned to Lois.  "You have told me
+your story and in return I shall relate one perhaps of a more startling
+nature."
+
+"In connection with this same affair?" Lois eagerly asked.
+
+"It has a direct bearing upon it.  It has to do with the mystery which
+has been surrounding the life of old David."
+
+"And does it clear it up?"
+
+"Wait, please, until I am through, and you can judge for yourself," Mr.
+Westcote smilingly told her.
+
+"I shall be as patient as Job," Lois replied, as she settled herself in
+her chair as comfortably as possible.
+
+"My story might seem strange to you," Mr. Westcote began.  "In fact, it
+has always seemed strange to me, and sometimes I think that I shall
+wake up and find it nothing more than a dream.  Well, without going
+into details, which would not interest you, it is sufficient to say
+that I came to this country over two years ago on one of the strangest
+commissions ever given to man.  I was handed two sealed papers numbered
+1 and 2, with strict orders to break the seal of paper Number 1 only
+upon my arrival in Canada, and then I should find my instructions in
+reference to Number 2."
+
+"What were the instructions?" Lois eagerly asked, as Mr. Westcote
+paused for a few seconds as if considering how to proceed.
+
+"That will come later," he replied.  "I must tell you about Number 1
+first.  You promised to be patient, you know."
+
+"Excuse me, I know I did," Lois smilingly confessed, as she glanced at
+Margaret, whose eyes were twinkling with amusement.
+
+"I was naturally anxious to know what my orders were," Mr. Westcote
+continued, "and shortly after my arrival here, I broke the seal of
+Number 1.  Then I learned that I was to search for an old man who was
+living in this country under the name of David Findley.  No effort or
+expense was to be spared.  Money would be provided without stint
+through one of the city banks.  When the old man was found he was to be
+kept in complete ignorance of the fact that I had been searching for
+him.  The hard part was that I should undertake to assist him in such a
+way that he should not have the slightest idea that anything was being
+done on his behalf.  There was not to be the least semblance of
+charity, and whatever was done for him had to appear to be the natural
+payment for value received.  If the old man had any special hobby or
+scheme, no matter how wild, so long as it was legitimate, I was to
+undertake to see that it should be carried out, no matter what the
+expense.  If the scheme proved feasible, so much the better, and strict
+business methods were to be used to make it pay.  But if not, the old
+man's every lawful wish was to be gratified.  One of the strict
+instructions was that he should be induced as soon as possible to make
+his will.  This was to be done in such a way as to arouse no suspicion,
+but that he should consider it as a matter of business detail, so that
+his fond scheme, or whatever it might be, would not suffer in case of
+his death.
+
+"You can readily understand, Miss Sinclair, the magnitude of the
+undertaking.  At first I thought that I had been made the victim of a
+madman, and was tempted to return to England at once, and have nothing
+to do with the affair.  But the amount of money placed at my disposal
+in the bank settled all scruples and started me forth upon my strange
+quest.  I even began to enjoy the adventure of the whole thing, and the
+mystery attached to it lured me on.  I searched far and wide for David
+Findley and at last, owing to an accident to my auto, located him at
+Creekdale, living as a pauper.  By the description given in paper
+Number 1 I knew that he was the man for whom I had been searching.
+After that, matters moved along very smoothly.  He had a fond scheme,
+too, which served my purpose splendidly.  He was wrapped up in the idea
+of converting the water of Break Neck Falls into light and power for
+the benefit of the entire community.  I consulted with the best
+engineers, and they said the scheme was most feasible, and so we began
+work.  David was paid a sum of money for his plans, which satisfied
+him, and he was made Honorary President of a company which has never
+really existed.  The money at my disposal made everything easy.  You
+know the rest, and why should I go further into details?  It would be
+unnecessary for me to tell you of the faithful and excellent work of
+Mr. Randall.  He has been of great assistance to me, and without his
+aid my task would have been much harder than it has been."
+
+When Mr. Westcote paused Lois looked enquiringly into his face.
+
+"May I speak now?" she asked.  "I have been very patient, have I not?"
+
+"Indeed you have, Miss Sinclair," and Mr. Westcote smiled.  "You may
+ask anything you like."
+
+"Surely you have not told me all.  I thought you had merely begun when
+you stopped.  Who was David Findley, anyway, and what does paper Number
+2 contain?  I am most curious to know the end of this strange story."
+
+"Oh, I forgot to tell you a very important thing," and Mr. Westcote
+laughed.  "My instructions in paper Number 1 told me not to open Number
+2 until after the old man's death.  Then I should learn all about him
+and the mystery of my strange commission would be solved."
+
+"Do you know yet?" Lois eagerly asked.  "Have you broken the seal?"
+
+"Yes, I broke it this morning, and have read the contents of the paper
+three times.  I am going to read it to you now, for that will be better
+than if I tell it to you in my own words."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXI
+
+PAPER NUMBER TWO
+
+Mr. Westcote was about to begin the reading of the manuscript lying
+before him, when his lawyer was announced.
+
+"Excuse me for a moment," he said, "I must speak to Dr. Turnsell at
+once."
+
+"Suppose we go out for a while, Father," Margaret suggested.  "You will
+wish to see him privately, I suppose."
+
+"Remain just where you are," was the reply.  "It is not necessary for
+you to leave."
+
+When they were alone Lois and Margaret discussed what Mr. Westcote had
+just told them.
+
+"Isn't it strange?" Margaret began.  "Did you ever hear anything like
+it before?"
+
+"No, I never did,"  was the reply.  "But did you know about it?"
+
+"Oh, yes.  Father told me, of course, but I had to promise that I
+wouldn't say a word about it.  And I didn't, did I, not even to you?  I
+longed to tell you all I knew, but that would not have been right."
+
+"I wonder what that paper contains," and Lois motioned to the desk.
+"It, no doubt, will explain everything.  I wish your father would hurry
+back."
+
+"Here he is now," Margaret replied.  "He wasn't long with Dr. Turnsell."
+
+"I am afraid that I shall have to leave you young ladies for a while,"
+Mr. Westcote informed them as soon as he had closed the door behind
+him.  "My lawyer wants me to go with him.  It is too bad as I wished to
+read that paper to you."
+
+"Why cannot we read it ourselves?" Margaret asked.  "You surely will
+not keep us in suspense any longer."
+
+"Why, certainly," was the reply.  "That will do just as well.  Strange
+that I never thought of that.  Suppose you read it, Miss Sinclair," and
+he handed the manuscript to her.  "I shall come back as soon as I can,
+so you had better wait here until I return unless I am too late."
+
+"Hurry up, Lois," Margaret urged, when they were once more alone.  "I
+can't wait another minute."
+
+Lois was nothing loath, and in a clear, well-modulated voice she began:
+
+
+"I, Simon Dockett, feeling keenly the weight of years, and knowing that
+my days on earth are but few, desire to unburden my soul and make
+amends as far as possible for a grievous wrong I have committed.  That
+wrong can never be fully rectified in this world.  If money could do
+it, then it would flow like water; if a troubled conscience and a
+wearied and a burdened soul could atone for what I have done, then
+surely I have made atonement enough.  They greatly err who say that a
+man can sin and yet have peace of mind.  I tell you it is hell; yes,
+hell here, and hell in the world to come.
+
+"I have heaped up riches in my life, enough to satisfy the most
+avaricious.  But at what cost have I acquired them, and of what comfort
+are they to me now?  I am old, lonely, and menials serve me because of
+my money.  How much better are my so-called friends?  They fawn upon me
+with their lips, but deceit is in their hearts.  They laugh at me
+behind my back, and joke about 'Old Dockett' and his money.  In all the
+world there is none who loves me, but many who hate me.  One especially
+there is who desires my death, thinking that he will get my money.
+That is part of what my riches have cost me, though not all.
+
+"I have a brother, and when we were young our hearts were as one.  He
+was gentle and thoughtful, while I was rough and impetuous.  My one
+object was to make money for self, his, to assist others.  Once I loved
+him as my own soul.  But gold got into my heart and changed everything.
+I became a machine, nay, more, a brutal thinking machine, with gold as
+the one object in life.
+
+"All natural affections died in me, and I think I would have betrayed
+my parents for gold, but thank God they were beyond my power.  My only
+brother, Henry, however, was not, and him I betrayed, deceived and
+ruined.  All that he had became mine, and I considered it shrewd
+business.  He left England and I was glad that he was out of my sight.
+I have never seen him since, but I have kept track of him.
+
+"Had my brother cursed me when I robbed him, it would have been easier
+for me in after years.  But he reproached me not, except with his eyes,
+and the look that he gave me as we parted has haunted me ever since.  I
+tried to forget what I had done to him, and plunged deeply into
+business.  But all in vain.  I could not banish the wrong I had
+committed, and my brother's face with the reproachful eyes was ever
+before me day and night.
+
+"At last I could endure it no longer, and so resolved to make what
+amends I could.  I found out where my brother was living, wrote to him,
+and sent him a considerable sum of money.  He returned it, and that
+made me angry.  But I knew that my brother was right, and I also
+learned that he would starve rather than accept a penny from me or help
+in any form.
+
+"For several years I made no further attempt to assist him.  But the
+remorse gnawing at my soul could not be silenced.  I reasoned that I
+had done what I could to rectify my wrong, but that gave me no peace.
+Finally I resolved that I would help him in such a manner that he
+should never know that I had anything to do with it.  I knew that he
+was living in Eastern Canada, but just where I was uncertain.
+
+"After weeks of careful consideration I made arrangements that all that
+I possess should go to my brother Henry after my death.  In the
+meantime I planned with my solicitors that a man of exceptional ability
+and unimpeachable character and integrity should be sent to Canada,
+backed with sufficient money, to find my brother and to devise some
+means of assisting him, and carrying out his every legitimate wish
+without his ever knowing that I was behind the scheme.
+
+"I have also provided that he should be given two sealed papers, the
+first setting forth his instructions, which he is not to open until his
+arrival in Canada.  He will then learn that this second which I am now
+writing must not be opened until after my brother's death, should he
+outlive me.  If he should die first then this paper is to be returned
+to me with the seal unbroken.  The man chosen for this special
+undertaking must not know anything about me, and he is not to have the
+least idea who my brother really is.  When I am dead, my solicitors
+will notify the man so that he may break the seal of this paper
+immediately after my brother's death.
+
+"My solicitors have full knowledge of my business affairs, and they
+will continue to manage them after my death.  In case of my brother
+Henry dying without having made a will, they have full instructions as
+to the disposal of my property.  Only one other living relative I have,
+and he is my sister's son, Melburne Telford.  He cherishes the hope
+that my money will go to him after my death.  In this, however, he is
+mistaken, for I have taken a great dislike to the young man.  He is
+absolutely worthless, and travels over the country as an artist.  I
+have given him considerable money at various times, for my dead
+sister's sake.  But he has been very ungrateful, and lives a most evil
+life.  He believes that my brother Henry is the only one who stands
+between him and my money.  But I have so arranged that he shall not
+receive one penny of it, though he is not aware of the fact.
+
+"I have now done all in my power to make amends for past wrongs to my
+only brother.  I should like to see him again, and to hear from his own
+lips words of forgiveness.  But that can never be.  People have called
+me hard, and good reason have they had for such an opinion.  But they
+have not known all.  When I am gone and this story is told, perhaps
+they may think somewhat differently of me.  But whether they do or not
+will not affect me then.  I have made my bed, and so I must lie in it.
+
+  (Signed) "SIMON DOCKETT,
+       Liverpool, England."
+
+
+When Lois had finished, she laid the paper upon the desk and remained
+silent for a few seconds.  The last part of the confession was what
+interested her most of all.  She felt sure that Melburne Telford was
+none other than Sydney Bramshaw.  But how was she to prove it?  Where
+could the person be found who could identify him? she asked herself.
+
+"What do you think of the story?" Margaret asked, as she studied Lois'
+face in an effort to divine her thoughts.
+
+"It is most interesting," was the reply, "and it explains things I
+could not understand before.  But how are we to prove that Sydney
+Bramshaw is really Simon Dockett's nephew?"
+
+"Perhaps father may know more about it than we do," Margaret suggested.
+"He must have received notice of Simon Dockett's death."
+
+Lois was about to reply when a sudden thought flashed into her mind,
+which caused her face to flush with excitement.
+
+"What is it, dear?" Margaret questioned, noticing her agitation.
+
+"Don't press me for an answer, please," and Lois rose to her feet.  "I
+shall explain everything to you later.  I must get home at once.  A new
+idea has come into my mind, which makes me very restless."
+
+As she was standing there, Mr. Westcote entered.  His face bore a
+worried expression which Lois and Margaret were not slow to notice.
+
+"Have they caught him?" Lois eagerly asked.
+
+"No, not yet, but he will be taken no doubt at the station.  You have
+finished reading the paper, I see," and he glanced toward the desk.
+"What do you think of it?"
+
+"We have found it most interesting, but some of it quite puzzling."
+
+"What part?"
+
+"Where it speaks about Simon Dockett's nephew.  Who is Melburne
+Telford, do you think?"
+
+"Ah, that is where the present trouble lies, Miss Sinclair.  I firmly
+believe that this Sydney Bramshaw is the man, but how are we to prove
+it without bringing people all the way from England?  I thought there
+was a man in the city who could identify him, as he had done business
+with the Dockett Concern, as it is commonly called in England.  My
+lawyer and I hunted him up this afternoon, but he told us that he never
+knew before that Simon Dockett had a nephew.  Now if we could only
+unearth some one who knows that Sydney Bramshaw is in reality Melburne
+Telford then our case is complete."
+
+"I believe I know the right man," Lois remarked in a low voice.  "He is
+living at Creekdale, and if you will take me there at once we can have
+a talk with him.  I know he will assist us all he can, and we can
+depend upon what he says."
+
+"We shall go at once," Mr. Westcote replied.  "I shall order the car
+immediately.  You had better come too, Margaret."
+
+Lois was now in a great whirl of excitement, and she could hardly wait
+for the arrival of the car.  Mr. Westcote told the chauffeur to make
+good time, and though they travelled fast it seemed to Lois a long time
+before the Haven appeared in sight.
+
+The captain and Mrs. Peterson were greatly surprised when the car swung
+up to the Haven and the young women and Mr. Westcote alighted.  The
+captain was lying in his big chair upon the verandah with his wife
+knitting by his side.
+
+"Well, this is a surprise," he exclaimed as he shook hands with his
+visitors.  "I thought you were all in the city, and had forgotten your
+country friends."
+
+"Oh, we can never forget you, Captain," Lois smilingly replied.  "We
+have come on purpose to see you, and so you should feel very much
+elated and be on your best behaviour."
+
+"Sure, sure, indeed I shall.  But what do you want to see me about?" he
+enquired.  "Has it anything to do with that murder case?  I am most
+anxious to hear the latest news."
+
+"I have come to ask you to get your thinking-cap on," Lois replied.
+
+"My thinking-cap!  Why, bless your heart, it's always on, day and
+night."
+
+"That's good, Captain.  But first I wish to ask you a few questions."
+
+"Drive ahead, then, I'm ready."
+
+"You have often sailed to Liverpool, have you not?"
+
+"Sure.  Know the place well."
+
+"You knew also of the Dockett Concern there, didn't you?  I have heard
+you mention that name."
+
+"Yes, indeed I did.  Knew old Simon Dockett himself, and saw him often.
+My, he was a cranky cuss, if ever there was one.  He had a whale of a
+tongue, and knew how to use it."
+
+"Did you know anything about his family?"
+
+"Not much.  He never married, as I guess no woman would have him.  But
+I know for sure that he has a nephew.  He sailed once on my ship, and
+that was the first time I met him.  He was a gay one."
+
+"Do you remember his name?"  Lois was much excited now.
+
+"Sure; it was Melburne Telford.  I couldn't forget that for if he told
+it to us once on that trip he told it a hundred times.  He was always
+boasting that he was the nephew of old Simon Dockett, and that he was
+to fall heir to his wealth."
+
+"Have you ever seen him since, Captain?"
+
+"Not until he struck this place, travelling under the name of Sydney
+Bramshaw.  I knew him, though he didn't know me," and the captain
+smiled as he ran his hand over his bearded face.  "I didn't have this
+then.  At first I couldn't exactly make out where I had seen the fellow
+before, but when I remembered I gave such a whoop that the women folk
+thought I had gone out of my mind, and came running in to see what was
+wrong."
+
+"So that was the matter with you that day, was it?" Mrs. Peterson asked
+as she paused in her knitting.
+
+"Yes, that was it, and poor little Betty thought I had something in my
+head like 'Mr. David,' ho, ho!"
+
+"But why didn't you tell us who Sydney Bramshaw really was?" Lois asked.
+
+"At first I thought I would.  But then I decided to await developments,
+and see what the fellow was doing around here, and why he was sailing
+under another name.  If I told what I knew it would have been gabbled
+all over the place in no time, and the chap would have been looked upon
+with suspicion.  He seemed to be harmless enough, and so I thought I
+might as well hold my tongue for a while anyway.  But since he's gone
+and you've asked me point blank about him, I can't see any harm in
+telling what I know."
+
+"Would it surprise you, Captain, to learn that Melburne Telford, alias
+Sydney Bramshaw, is David Findley's nephew?" Mr. Westcote asked.
+
+"His nephew!" the captain exclaimed.  "Old David's nephew!"
+
+"Yes, that's who he is, and David and Simon Dockett were brothers."
+
+"Good heavens!" the captain ejaculated.  "What's the meaning of it all,
+I'd like to know?"
+
+"Let me tell you," Mr. Westcote replied.  "It is only right that you
+should know."
+
+As briefly as possible he related the story of the two sealed papers,
+the captain and his wife listening with the keenest interest.  He told
+also of Bramshaw's suspicious actions.
+
+"And do you mean to tell me that old David was murdered by his nephew?"
+the captain asked in amazement when the story was finished.
+
+"It looks very much like it, doesn't it?"
+
+"It certainly does.  My, my, who'd have thought such a thing!" and the
+captain leaned back overcome by what he had just heard.
+
+Before the visitors left, Mrs. Peterson spread a little table with a
+spotless cloth, and brought forth some of her fresh bread, cake and
+preserves.
+
+"It is no trouble, I assure you," she replied in answer to Lois'
+remonstrance.  "You must have a cup of tea before you leave, and I
+thought it would be nice out here on the verandah."
+
+"That looks good to me," Mr. Westcote remarked as he drew his chair up
+to the table.  "I haven't eaten a bite since morning.  I was all ready
+to go to the restaurant when Dobbins came to see me, and then you girls
+arrived.  If this keeps up much longer I shall be a skeleton.  But I
+must not remain too long," he added, as he consulted his watch.  "I
+must be back in the city before the C. P. R. leaves."
+
+"May I stay with Lois?" Margaret asked.
+
+"Why yes, if you will not be in the way."
+
+"She must stay," Lois replied.  "I could not get along without her now.
+You will keep us informed, I hope, of how you make out."
+
+"Yes, I shall write to-night, and if anything of great importance turns
+up I shall let you know at once."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXII
+
+THE TABLES TURNED
+
+The agony of mind that Jasper suffered in leaving his cabin and meeting
+the people of Creekdale on their return from old David's funeral was
+only a part of the trial he endured on his journey to the county jail.
+On the wharf, while waiting for the arrival of the steamer, he was
+subjected to the pitiless stares and gibes of men, women and children.
+News of the arrest had spread from house to house, and people had
+flocked to the wharf to have a last look upon the suspected man.
+Jasper stood with his face to the river watching the steamer off in the
+distance, which was rapidly approaching.  The actions of the crowd
+disgusted him.  There was not one friendly voice lifted up on his
+behalf.  Jim Goban strutted up and down keeping close watch upon his
+prisoner, and gloating over his task.  He was having his revenge now
+for the blows he had received on the day of David's release.
+
+When once on the steamer Jasper believed that he would be free from all
+curious eyes.  In this, however, he was mistaken.  There were many on
+board and all soon learned that the "terrible murderer" was in their
+midst.  Jasper was kept down below near the engine room and it was
+remarkable how most of the people on that boat found it necessary to
+pass him quite often.  He could hear some of their comments as they
+moved away.
+
+"What a bad face he has," a woman remarked.
+
+"Yes," her companion replied, "he surely does look like a desperate
+character.  Wasn't it awful for him to kill that poor old man?"
+
+Jasper's face was really hard and stern; how could it have been
+otherwise?  Where was all their Christian charity? he asked himself.
+Where was the spirit of justice?  Those people knew that he had not yet
+received a fair trial, and why were they so willing and eager to
+believe him guilty?
+
+Old Simon Squabbles was on board, and though he said nothing to Jasper,
+he expressed his views to several men a short distance away.
+
+"It's nothin' more than I expected," he boasted.  "I knew he would soon
+reach the end of his tether after the experience I had with him.  I had
+him workin' fer me, an' when I wouldn't pay him fer loafin' in the
+potato patch, he got as mad as blazes an' said things I wouldn't like
+to repeat."
+
+Jasper endured such remarks without a word.  He did not feel like
+making any reply.  In fact, he realised how useless it would be, and
+the less said the better.
+
+The limit of his bitterness was reached when a woman approached and
+began to speak to him about his soul, and the danger of hell fire.  She
+dilated glibly upon the awfulness of sin, and even offered to pray for
+him.
+
+"Keep your prayers for yourself," Jasper retorted, stung almost to fury
+by her impudence.  "You'll do more good if you pray for these
+snivelling hypocrites," and he motioned to those standing around him.
+
+"Isn't it awful!" and the woman held up her hands in horror.  "You
+should be afraid to speak that way, and you in such danger.  Read this,
+poor man," and she held forth a tract she had been holding in her hand.
+
+Jasper glanced at it and read the heading, "Flee from Hell Fire."  He
+took it, and then crushing it in his hand, threw it from him.
+
+"I've had enough of this," he cried, "and I'll stand no more.  Leave me
+alone, is all I ask.  Hell can be no worse than what you people are
+dealing out to me now."
+
+Jasper's look and attitude caused those near him to shrink back, and
+during the rest of the voyage he had peace from the clatter of tongues,
+at least.
+
+It was a great relief to him when at last he was lodged in the cell of
+the county jail.  Here he was alone and free from all curious eyes, and
+he had time and quietness for thought.  His heart was nevertheless
+heavy as he sat there in his solitude.  He brooded over all that had
+taken place, and the one and only ray of brightness which came to him
+in his misery was the thought of Lois and the vision of her standing
+where he last saw her with such deep sympathy expressed in her eyes.
+
+The following day Mr. Westcote's lawyer came to see him, and they had a
+long talk together.  Dr. Turnsell was greatly impressed by Jasper and
+the straightforward manner in which he told about his visit to David
+the night of the murder.
+
+"We shall do the best we can for you," the lawyer informed him as he
+bade him good-bye.  "We have tried to get you out on bail, but so far
+have been unsuccessful."
+
+This visit somewhat encouraged Jasper.  He knew that able men were
+working for him and that Mr. Westcote would spare no money on his
+behalf.  As he sat there in his cell he thought over his past life and
+of the many struggles he had made to succeed.  He brooded over the
+injustice he had received from so many simply because he was poor and
+forced to fight his own battles against almost overwhelming odds.  "And
+is this the end?" he asked himself.  "Will all my efforts amount to
+nothing?"  He thought of several of his college companions, sons of
+rich men, who knew not what it was to fight in order to win their way,
+and who were now occupying important positions in life.  He knew what
+they would say about him now.  "Poor Spuds," would be their laconic
+comment.  "He was always an odd one, anyway."  Yes, that was the way
+they would talk, and then dismiss him from their minds.
+
+The afternoon slowly passed, and after a while he rose and paced up and
+down his small room.  He looked through the barred window and saw the
+clouds sweeping across the "long savannahs of the blue."  How precious
+freedom seemed to him, and he longed to be once more in the open.  He
+thought of Lois, and wondered if she were thinking of him.  Perhaps she
+was out on the river in her little boat watching those same clouds.
+There would be no one near now to rescue her should the water get rough.
+
+Jasper was interrupted in his reverie by the entrance of the jailor.
+He carried a letter in his hand, which he gave to the prisoner, and
+then retired and bolted the door.
+
+Jasper glanced at the writing and his heart gave a great bound as he at
+once recognised Lois' handwriting.  Quickly he tore open the envelope
+and drew forth the letter.
+
+
+"Dear Mr. Randall," it began, "I am sending you this little note to
+remind you that all your friends have not forgotten you, and that we
+are doing what we can on your behalf.  Keep up courage.  I am very
+hopeful now and feel sure that everything will turn out right.  I know
+you are innocent, and am confident that you will soon be free.
+Good-bye.
+
+"Yours in haste,
+
+"Lois Sinclair."
+
+
+Next to Lois herself nothing could have been more welcome to Jasper
+than that letter.  He pressed it fervently to his lips, and read it
+over and over again.  It brought a great comfort to his burdened heart.
+He was sure now that Lois was thinking of him and doing what she could
+for his release.  He wondered what she had discovered, and mused much
+upon the words "I am very hopeful now."
+
+Jasper slept well that night and awoke in the morning greatly
+refreshed.  He wondered what the day would bring forth, and as he paced
+up and down his room in order to get a little exercise, he squared back
+his shoulders and held his head high.  He felt fit and ready for battle
+and longed for activity of some kind.  As the morning hours wore slowly
+away he became restless and impatient.  The silence of his room was
+affecting his nerves, and he thought with a shudder of men who were
+condemned for life to solitary confinement.  What more horrible
+punishment could be meted out to any man?  He was sure that he would go
+mad in a few days.
+
+Jasper could eat but little of the meagre dinner the jailor brought
+him.  He was hoping that there would be a letter or some message for
+him, and when there was none he felt sadly disappointed.  How long
+would it be before he had any word from the lawyer? he wondered.
+
+He was brooding at the table when the door again opened and to his
+great joy and surprise Mr. Westcote entered.  Jasper sprang to his feet
+and seized the hand held out to him.
+
+"Are you quite repentant now?" Mr. Westcote smilingly asked.
+
+"Quite," was the reply.  "I think this dose will do me all my life.  I
+am willing to do anything you ask me, even to blacking your boots."
+
+"That's good, so obey me at once and leave this confounded hole."
+
+"What, go with you?"
+
+"Certainly.  What else would have brought me here but to take you away?"
+
+"To the court-room, I suppose," was the bitter rejoinder.
+
+"Not at all.  But come now, and I will explain everything on our way to
+the city.  My car is just outside."
+
+How good Jasper felt to be once again out of doors, and he expanded his
+chest and inhaled great draughts of the fresh air.
+
+"My, that's great!" he exclaimed.  "It will take me a long time to get
+the poison of that cell out of my lungs, and----"
+
+"The bitterness out of your soul, eh?" Mr. Westcote quietly asked, as
+Jasper paused.
+
+"Yes, that's what I was going to say.  But I'm afraid it will be a much
+harder thing to do.  I've been the sport of fools so long that the
+bitterness of my soul has become a chronic disease."
+
+"Tut, tut, don't talk that way any more," Mr. Westcote chided.  "Jump
+on board now, and let us be off.  I'll tell you something that will
+sweeten your soul and make life worth living."
+
+To Jasper it seemed almost like a dream as he leaned back and listened
+to what his companion told him about the net of evidence which had been
+woven about Sydney Bramshaw.  He did not mention Lois in connection
+with the affair, but related the incidents of the letter, the threat to
+Betty Bean, and old David's narrow escape from the falling log.  He
+told him also about the two sealed papers, and who David Findley and
+Sydney Bramshaw really were.
+
+"This is certainly remarkable!" Jasper exclaimed, when Mr. Westcote
+ceased speaking and took a cigar from his pocket.  "But where is
+Bramshaw now?" he asked.  "Surely he has not been allowed to escape."
+
+"Indeed he hasn't.  He's in the city jail, that's where he is."
+
+"Oh, I see."  It was all Jasper could say.
+
+"Yes, he was arrested last night as he was about to board the C. P. R.
+for New York.  His grip was searched and letters of a most
+incriminating nature were found.  Why, the fellow must be a fool to
+have kept them with him.  Almost any man in his right mind would have
+destroyed them at once."
+
+"How did he take his arrest?" Jasper enquired.
+
+"At first he put up a big bluff and threatened all sorts of things.
+But after a night in the lock-up and a thorough grilling this morning,
+he broke down and begged for mercy.  He was confounded by the net which
+had been woven about him, and the look of terror in his eyes was really
+pathetic."
+
+"And has he confessed to murdering old David?" Jasper eagerly asked.
+
+"Not exactly.  But he has come so near to it that not the shadow of a
+doubt is left about his guilt.  I believe that he will confess all
+shortly in the hope that he may escape the death penalty by doing so."
+
+Jasper remained silent for a while apparently studying the scenery as
+they sped on their way.  But he saw nothing of tree, flower or rich
+rolling meadows.  His thoughts were elsewhere, and his next question
+revealed the working of his mind.
+
+"To whom am I indebted for the collecting of all that valuable
+evidence?" he questioned.  "Some one must have been very busy."
+
+"You are indebted to several," was the reply.  "But Miss Sinclair has
+been the most active."
+
+"So I imagined," was all Jasper said and he once more lapsed into a
+silence which he did not break until the car drew up before Mr.
+Westcote's office.  He knew now that Lois cared for him, and his heart
+thrilled with joy as he thought of the efforts she had made on his
+behalf.  How he longed to see her and thank her for what she had done.
+
+The surprise which came to Jasper upon his speedy release and
+vindication was nothing compared to the shock he received when Mr.
+Westcote told him about old David's will.
+
+"Surely he has not left everything to me!" Jasper exclaimed.
+
+"No, not all; merely half after a few bequests have been disposed of.
+Then you and Miss Sinclair are to share alike."
+
+"I don't seem to comprehend it all yet," and Jasper placed his hand to
+his forehead in a bewildered manner.
+
+"It's only natural that you shouldn't.  It will take you some time to
+grasp the significance of the bequest which has been made to you.  Your
+responsibility will be very heavy, but from what I know of you I
+believe that you will be equal to the undertaking."
+
+"I shall do the best I can," Jasper replied.  "I am too much dazed at
+present to think it carefully over.  For a man to be freed from all
+suspicion of a terrible crime, and then to find himself heir to a vast
+fortune all in one day is enough to turn any one's brain."
+
+A knock sounded upon the office door, and Dr. Turnsell at once entered.
+He shook hands with Jasper and heartily congratulated him.
+
+"I have come to tell you," he added, "that Bramshaw has made a full
+confession of his crime.  He is a nervous wreck, and this morning he
+broke down completely."
+
+"I am very thankful that he has confessed," and Jasper gave a sigh of
+relief.  "Wasn't it lucky that he was caught before he got over the
+Border?"
+
+"You have to thank Miss Sinclair for that," Mr. Westcote replied.  "But
+for her prompt action I am afraid we would be frantically searching for
+Bramshaw now."
+
+"And I would be still in jail," Jasper mused.
+
+"Undoubtedly.  Now, it seems to me that Miss Sinclair should be
+informed of what has happened as soon as possible.  Suppose we slip up
+and tell her?"
+
+"That will be great," and Jasper sprang to his feet.  "When can we
+start?"
+
+"At once.  The car is waiting outside.  I knew that you would be
+anxious to go, and so ordered the chauffeur to be ready."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXIII
+
+THE REAL HAVEN
+
+Lois rose early that morning and attended to numerous household
+affairs.  It was necessary for her to keep busy, as her mind was always
+calmer when her hands were employed.  She had the feeling that the day
+would be an unusual one, and that much would happen before its close.
+She could not rid her mind of this idea, and she mentioned it to
+Margaret over the breakfast table.
+
+"Do you believe in premonitions?" she asked.
+
+"In a way I do," was the reply.  "Strange things happen sometimes, you
+know.  I, too, have a peculiar feeling this morning that we are to hear
+great news today.  Everything is so still just now, with not a leaf nor
+a blade of grass aquiver.  See how the fog rests upon the river through
+which the sun is trying to break.  There will be a heavy wind this
+afternoon, mark my word.  I have often noticed it to be so.  It is the
+rule rather than the exception.  And it may be the case with us.  The
+quietness of the morning may give place to excitement before night."
+
+"You are quite a philosopher," Lois laughingly remarked.
+
+"Not at all, dear.  I am merely an observer, and I notice that what
+happens in nature around us is often true in our own lives.  The law
+which governs the waves of the ocean affects in a similar manner the
+ripples of a tiny pool.  I am going to make a prophecy now."
+
+"Let it be a good one."
+
+"Certainly.  I am going to predict that this afternoon will bring us
+the excitement of joy, and that there will be a happy company seated at
+this table for dinner.  How is that for a prophecy?"
+
+"I hope it will come true," Lois replied with a smile.
+
+"Do you care for a walk this morning?" she asked.
+
+"No, I think not.  I have some needle-work to finish, and I do so like
+that shady corner of the verandah.  But don't you stay in on my
+account."
+
+"I'm afraid I couldn't content myself in any one place this morning,"
+and Lois gazed thoughtfully out of the window.  "I am so restless that
+I must be on the move.  I shall visit the Haven first and then go for
+the mail.  We should hear something from your father."
+
+Lois enjoyed the walk up along the shaded lane, and when she was almost
+to the main highway she sat down under a large tree and looked out upon
+the river.  The last trace of fog was slowly lifting and not a ripple
+disturbed the surface of the water.  She longed to be out there in her
+boat and made up her mind to go for a row during the afternoon.  She
+thought of the day Jasper had rescued her and Margaret.  What was he
+doing now? she wondered.  Perhaps he was sitting in his lonely cell
+thinking of her.  The thought brought a flush to her cheeks and a sweet
+peace to her heart.  No doubt he had received her letter, and that
+would tell him that she had not forgotten him.
+
+She found the captain in his accustomed place upon the verandah.
+
+"You are early this morning," was his salutation as he took the pipe
+from his mouth.
+
+"Why shouldn't I be?" she asked, as she sat down by his side.
+"Wouldn't it be a pity to stay indoors a morning like this?"
+
+"Sure it would.  But you are lucky to be able to walk about.  Look at
+me; nothing but a cripple who must stick to this one place with never a
+chance of moving around."
+
+"But you don't need to, Captain.  People come to see you, and you know
+all that is going on.  You held quite a reception yesterday afternoon."
+
+"Indeed I did.  And I have been thinking very much about what I heard.
+It is wonderful.  I do hope they have caught that rascal."
+
+"Have you seen Betty lately?" Lois enquired.
+
+"We expect her to-night.  She is coming to stay a few days with us.  It
+will be good to have her here again, for we miss her very much."
+
+"Have you any idea what she is going to do?"
+
+"Her mind is set upon being a nurse, so I understand.  She'll make a
+good one, mark my word.  The way she took to old David and looked after
+him was a marvel."
+
+Mrs. Peterson now came from the house and joined in the conversation.
+
+"You must excuse me, dear," she apologised, "but I haven't had time to
+dress up this morning.  Betty is coming to-night, and I want to get
+some cakes and pies made."
+
+"You won't have to work so hard when you get your money," Lois replied.
+"I suppose you have heard nothing more about it?"
+
+"Only that we're to get a thousand a year.  Isn't it wonderful!  It
+seems that it must be all a dream.  At first we couldn't understand
+where so much money was to come from.  But after what Mr. Westcote told
+us it is all clear.  Betty and her mother are to get the same amount
+each, so I believe.  Poor old David!  We little realised what he would
+do for us when we took him to board.  I did hear that Mr. Jasper is to
+come in for a large share.  I hope he does, anyway, for he deserves it."
+
+"Have you heard who will get the balance of the money, property, or
+whatever it is?" Lois asked.
+
+"Why, certainly.  Don't you know?" Mrs. Peterson asked in astonishment.
+
+"No, I have not the least idea."
+
+"Well, isn't that strange!  Why, the bulk of the property is to go to
+you and Mr. Jasper."
+
+At these words Lois' eyes opened wide with amazement, and she felt that
+she had not heard aright.
+
+"To me?" she gasped.
+
+"So I understand.  We didn't mention it to you, thinking that you knew
+all about it.  But isn't it wonderful what strange things have happened
+in such a short time?"
+
+Lois made no reply, for her mind was too much agitated.  She wished to
+be by herself that she might think over this remarkable piece of news.
+Bidding the captain and his wife good-bye, she walked slowly down the
+road toward the store.  Surely there had been some mistake, she
+reasoned.  Why should anything have been left to her?  What had she
+done to merit it?  She wished that David had not done such a thing.  It
+would mean a great responsibility, and she did not feel equal to the
+task.
+
+Reaching the store, her attention was diverted for a time by the brief
+note she received from Mr. Westcote telling of the arrest of Sydney
+Bramshaw.  This was very gratifying news, but she longed to hear some
+word about Jasper, and whether he would be released.  This and what
+Mrs. Peterson had told her about the will occupied her mind all that
+afternoon.  She was unusually silent, and Margaret was afraid that she
+was not well.  She spent a couple of hours upon the river, but the
+water becoming rough she was unable to remain out any longer.
+
+"Your prediction has come true, Margaret," she said when she had
+reached the house.  "It is very rough out there now.  You were quite
+right as regards the water, but I guess that is about as far as it
+goes.  It is almost dinner time and here we are just as quiet as we
+were this morning."
+
+"There is plenty of time yet," and Margaret looked up from her work
+with a smile.  "I have had such a delightful day," she added.  "See, I
+have done all this," and she held up a piece of needle-work for
+inspection.
+
+"I wish that I could settle down to something definite," Lois sighed.
+"I have never been so restless in all my life as I have to-day.  I have
+the feeling that something wonderful is about to happen, and that a
+great change is to take place in my life.  If I were superstitious I
+should be quite uneasy."
+
+"Is it a feeling of dread?" Margaret asked.
+
+"No, not at all.  I cannot explain it, for I never experienced anything
+like it before."
+
+This conversation was suddenly interrupted by a long succession of
+raucous honks up the road, and in a few seconds a car swung around the
+corner of the house and stopped before the verandah.
+
+Lois had risen and stepped forward.  But she stopped short in amazement
+when she saw Jasper in the car, seated by Mr. Westcote's side.  Her
+father and Dick were in the front seat, but she hardly noticed them.
+Jasper was free!  That was the one idea which filled her mind.  It
+seemed almost too good to be true.  Just what happened next she was not
+altogether certain.  She welcomed them all and listened to their
+voices, but she seemed to be living in a dream from which she would
+suddenly awaken.  She took her place as usual at the head of the table,
+but made so many mistakes that Dick laughed at her.
+
+"What's the matter, Lois?" he enquired.  "You're surely strong on hot
+water.  You've given me a cup of it instead of tea, and the rest you
+poured into the milk pitcher."
+
+"Did I do that?" Lois asked in surprise.  "Well, I guess I'm rattled,
+anyway.  You have told me so many things during the last half hour that
+my brain is all in a whirl."
+
+Jasper was as much excited as Lois, though outwardly he remained calm.
+He said very little, and let Mr. Westcote tell how their car had broken
+down and but for the timely arrival of Mr. Sinclair and Dick they would
+not have been able to reach their destination.  He recalled his feeling
+of dismay when they were stalled, and he feared that he would not be
+able to see Lois that night.  He did want to tell her how grateful he
+was for what she had done for him.  But now he was near her and yet he
+had not told her.  He had thought over the proper words he would say,
+but when he had taken her hand as she met him at the verandah steps, he
+did not utter them.
+
+After dinner they all went out upon the verandah, and what a delightful
+time that was.  It was a happy company, and for a while all cares were
+banished.  It was a balmy evening, the wind of the afternoon having
+subsided, and all nature was hushed in repose as the shades of night
+began to steal over the land.  It was the hour of enchantment, and
+while Mr. Sinclair and Mr. Westcote discussed matters relating to the
+work at the falls, Dick and Margaret strolled slowly down to the river.
+
+Jasper and Lois thus found themselves sitting alone on the verandah
+steps.
+
+"Suppose we pay a visit to the Haven," Jasper suggested.  "It is a
+perfect night for a walk, and I know the captain and his wife will be
+glad to hear the news.  Your father won't mind our leaving him, will
+he?"
+
+"He won't realise that we have gone," Lois laughingly replied.  "He is
+very happy just now."
+
+Jasper and Lois were in no great hurry to reach the Haven.  Their
+hearts were happy, and as they walked slowly along Jasper told Lois all
+that had happened to him since the day of his arrest.
+
+"I can never thank you enough for sending me that letter of
+encouragement, and what you have done for me," he told her.
+
+"Don't try to do so," Lois replied.  "It was a joy to me to be able to
+do something."
+
+They were standing beneath a big maple tree, and Lois was plucking at a
+wild flower she had just picked.  Jasper suddenly reached out, caught
+both her hands in his and held them tight.
+
+"Lois, Lois," he breathed, and his voice was intense with emotion, "I
+want you for my very own.  I cannot live without you."
+
+"Oh, look, you have crushed my flower," Lois remonstrated, while a
+nervous little laugh escaped her lips.
+
+"That is too bad," and at once Jasper released her hands and placed his
+arms around her.
+
+"Lois, I love you," he murmured.  "I have loved you for years.  Can you
+love me in return?"
+
+In reply Lois lifted her flushed face to his and their lips met.  The
+seal of their betrothal was set, and their young hearts were as one.
+Time to them was nothing now in the rapturous joy of their sweet pure
+love.  Their past doubts, cares and trials were all ended.  They had
+started forth to reach the Haven nestling on the hill and they found on
+the way the real Haven which they had long been seeking--the enchanted
+Haven of Love.
+
+
+
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