"What have you been doing to yourself, young fellow ?" he asked.
"Nothing.

I don't know what you mean," answered Jerome.
"Nothing! Why, you have aged ten years since I last saw you!" "I am well enough, Colonel Lamson." "How about that deed I witnessed?
Have you got enough money to build the mill yet ?" "No, I haven't," replied Jerome, with a curious tone of defiance and despair, which the Colonel interpreted wrongly.
"Oh, don't give up yet," he said, cheerfully.

"Rome wasn't built in a day, you know." Jerome made no reply, but trudged on doggedly.
"How is she ?" asked the Colonel, suddenly.
Jerome turned white and looked at him.

"Who ?" he said.
The Colonel laughed, with wheezy facetiousness.

"Why, she--_she_.
Young men don't build nests or saw-mills unless there is a she in the case." "There isn't--" began Jerome.