"Thank you, miss."

"When do you go?"

"To-night."

For all his pride and fixed purpose he could not help looking eagerly in
her face. Miss Mayfield's eyes met his pleasantly and quietly.

"I'm sorry to part with you so soon," she said, as she stepped back a
pace or two with folded hands. "Of course every moment of your time now
is occupied. You must not think of wasting it on me."

But Jeff had recovered his sad composure. "I'd like to go with you, Miss
Mayfield. It's the last time, you know," he added simply.

Miss Mayfield did not reply. It was a tacit assent, however, although
she moved somewhat stiffly at his side as they walked towards the door.
Quite convinced that Jeff's resolution came from his pecuniary troubles,
Miss Mayfield was wondering if she had not better assure him of his
security from further annoyance from Dodd. Wonderful complexity of
female intellect! she was a little hurt at his ingratitude to her for
a kindness he could not possibly have known. Miss Mayfield felt that
in some way she was unjustly treated. How many of our miserable sex,
incapable of divination, have been crushed under that unreasonable
feminine reproof, "You ought to have known!"

The afternoon sun was indeed shining brightly as they stepped out before
the bleak angle of the "Half-way House"; but it failed to mitigate the
habitually practical austerity of the mountain breeze--a fact which Miss