"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."