young girl, flushing, as she remembered their walk of the previous
evening, the care and attention which he had bestowed upon her, and the
delight which she had experienced in his presence.

"Yes, that goes without saying; but, does he seem like an American to
you?"

"I had not given a thought to his nationality," Virgie answered, looking
up curiously.

"Well, it strikes me that he may be English, although there is nothing in
his speech or manner to betray it. He is built like an Englishman, and
somehow the idea has taken possession of me that he belongs over the
water, and so, his desire to settle here seems all the more
incomprehensible."

"It may be a whim--a romantic desire to learn something of a miner's
life," observed Virgie; "or," with more animation, "he may be an author,
papa, and is taking this way to study certain phases of character with
reference to writing a book."

"Well, Virgie," said Mr. Abbot, smiling, "I must confess that is the most
reasonable explanation that could suggest itself, and possibly, with your
woman's intuition, you have hit upon the right solution of the mystery.
Yes," after a thoughtful pause, "I shouldn't wonder if you were right. His
saying that he did not intend to work the mine himself goes to show that
it is a secondary object, and he does not care particularly about the
profit of it. He is very pleasant company. I believe his coming has done
me good."