It was true that he never seemed to have ready money, but he was engaged in very large operations.
The correspondence was not very brisk between these two young persons, so differently occupied; for though Philip wrote long letters, he got brief ones in reply, full of sharp little observations however, such as one concerning Col.

Sellers, namely, that such men dined at their house every week.
Ruth's proposed occupation astonished Philip immensely, but while he argued it and discussed it, he did not dare hint to her his fear that it would interfere with his most cherished plans.

He too sincerely respected Ruth's judgment to make any protest, however, and he would have defended her course against the world.
This enforced waiting at St.Louis was very irksome to Philip.

His money was running away, for one thing, and he longed to get into the field, and see for himself what chance there was for a fortune or even an occupation.

The contractors had given the young men leave to join the engineer corps as soon as they could, but otherwise had made no provision for them, and in fact had left them with only the most indefinite expectations of something large in the future.
Harry was entirely happy; in his circumstances.