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?"