"Are there many of them in this locality ?" "A good many scattered here and there," replied the boy; "but old man Gifford has a twenty-acre grove down in the bottoms that's mostly all walnut trees, and I heard him say just the other day that walnut lumber's got so high he had a notion to clear his land." "Where do you suppose we could find old man Gifford ?" inquired Mr.
Turner.
"Oh, about six miles off to the right, at the next turning." "Suppose we whizz right down there," said Sam promptly, and he turned to Miss Stevens with enthusiasm shining in his eyes.

"It does seem as if everything happens lucky for me," he observed.

"I haven't any particular liking for the lumber business, but fate keeps handing lumber to me all the time; just fairly forcing it on me." "Do you think fate is as much responsible for that as yourself ?" she questioned, smiling as they passed at a good clip the turn which was to have taken them over the pretty Bald Hill drive.

Sam had not even thought to apologize for the abrupt change in their program, because she could certainly see the opportunity which had offered itself, and how imperative it was to embrace it.

The thing needed no explanation.
"I don't know," he replied to her query, after pausing to consider it a moment.