It faded and turned black as all proofs do, but still Jed kept it in the drawer and often, very often, opened that drawer and looked at it.

Now he looked at it for a long, long time and when he rose to go back to the shop there was in his mind, along with the dream that had been there for days and weeks, for the first time the faintest dawning of a hope.

Ruth's impulsive speech, hastily and unthinkingly made, was repeating itself over and over in his brain.

"I wonder if you know what you have come to mean to me ?" What had he come to mean to her?
An hour later, as he sat at his bench, Captain Hunniwell came banging in once more.

But this time the captain looked troubled.
"Jed," he asked, anxiously, "have you found anything here since I went out ?" Jed looked up.
"Eh ?" he asked, absently.