He stood looking at her steadily, and any one but Phebe would have known the meaning of his expression; but she was examining the skull intently. "You are sure you don't want it any longer?" she asked. "No; I think there are some other things I would rather have," he returned. She shook her head. "It is a good one, Mr. Barrett, small and quite perfect, and it is yours by right of possession." "Phebe," he said, as he came a step nearer her; "my ancestors were Yankees and I inherit all their love of a trade. You take the skull and give me--" and he took it as he spoke; "your hand, dear." She drew her hand away sharply and turned to face him. Then the color fled from her cheeks, only to rush back again and mount to the roots of her hair. "Oh, Gifford," she said brokenly; "I'd like to ever so much, only--do you really think we'd better?" An hour later, the two young people sat side by side on the sofa, talking over and over the wonderful thing that had happened to them. "I must go back to New York, the day after Christmas," Mr. Barrett said; "but you will write to me often; won't you, Phebe?" "If I have anything to tell," she answered; "but I never could write letters, you know." "You could once." "How do you know?" For his only answer, he opened his cardcase and took out a folded scrap of paper. "How about this?" he asked, as he handed it to her. She took it curiously and unfolded it. Then she turned scarlet as she read the four lines written there. "Dehr Sir "THis mOney iis to pey to P ay for you r wheel anD yoour docors bill WE are sorrry y u fel loff a and We hooppe you will be butTER sooon A SINCERE FRind" "I owe you some money," he added, when she had finished reading it. "But what moved you to send it?" "My conscience. I supposed you were a poor, struggling musician, and I was really afraid you would starve to death if I didn't help you out, so I borrowed Teddy's typewriter and went to work." "Give it back to me," he commanded; but she was too quick for him, and a dozen scraps of paper fluttered into the fire. "It's the end of that old story," she announced briefly. "And the beginning of our new one," he added, as the door swung open and Dr. McAlister came into the room.