Though the succeeding days and weeks dragged wearily for Darrell, he

applied himself anew to work and study, and only the lurking shadows

within his eyes, the deepening lines on his face, the fast multiplying

gleams of silver in his dark hair, gave evidence of his suffering.

And if to Kate the summer seemed suddenly to have lost its glory and

music, if she found the round of social pleasures on which she had just

entered grown strangely insipid, if it sometimes seemed to her that she

had quaffed all the richness and sweetness of life on that wondrous

first night till only the dregs remained, she gave no sign. With her

sunny smile and lightsome ways she reigned supreme, both in society and

in the home, and none but her aunt and Darrell missed the old-time

rippling laughter or noted the deepening wistfulness and seriousness of

the fair young face.

Her father watched her with growing pride, and with a visible

satisfaction which told of carefully laid plans known only to himself,

whose consummation he deemed not far distant.

Acting on the suggestion of his sister, he had been closely observant of

both Kate and Darrell, but any conclusions which he formed he kept to

himself and went his way apparently well satisfied.

At the close of an unusually busy day late in the summer Darrell was

seated alone in his office, reviewing his life in the West and vaguely

wondering what would yet be the outcome of it all, when Mr. Underwood

entered from the adjoining room. Exultation and elation were patent in

his very step, but Darrell, lost in thought, was hardly conscious even

of his presence.

"Well, my boy, what are you mooning over?" Mr. Underwood asked,

good-naturedly, noting Darrell's abstraction.

"Only trying to find a solution for problems as yet insoluble," Darrell

answered, with a smile that ended in a sigh.

"Stick to the practical side of life, boy, and let the problems solve

themselves."

"A very good rule to follow, provided the problems would solve

themselves," commented Darrell.

"Those things generally work themselves out after a while," said Mr.

Underwood, walking up and down the room. "I say, don't meddle with what

you can't understand; take what you can understand and make a practical

application of it. That's always been my motto, and if people would

stick to that principle in commercial life, in religion, and everything

else, there'd be fewer failures in business, less wrangling in the

churches, and more good accomplished generally."

"I guess you are about right there," Darrell admitted.

"Been pretty busy to-day, haven't you?" Mr. Underwood asked, abruptly,

after a short pause.

"Yes, uncommonly so; work is increasing of late."

"That's good. Well, it has been a busy day with us; rather an eventful

one, in fact; one which Walcott and I will remember with pleasure, I

trust, for a good many years to come."




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