Sometimes he brought her home from school in his car.

He told Jed that he had taken a great fancy to the little girl and could not bear to miss an opportunity of seeing her.
Which statement Jed, of course, accepted wholeheartedly.
But Jed was sure that Ruth had been anxious and troubled of late and he believed the reason to be that which troubled him.

He hoped she might speak to him concerning her brother.

He would have liked to broach the subject himself, but feared she might consider him interfering.
One day--it was in late February, the ground was covered with snow and a keen wind was blowing in over a sea gray-green and splashed thickly with white--Jed was busy at his turning lathe when Charlie came into the shop.

Business at the bank was not heavy in mid- winter and, although it was but little after three, the young man was through work for the day.