"Neither would I. I wouldn't know what to do with a wagon load of him. But one would be very nice--loaded on an auto," she added slyly. Sandy sniffed; but he could not dispute long with Christina over anything. They had grand times together, as June came in and they fell into their old habit of sitting in the evenings on the pump platform. There were long confidential talks there, under the apple boughs, too. Sandy's mind, under Neil's careful guardianship, was turning more and more towards the ministry as his life-work. And every day Christina grew more thankful that she had not been the means of holding him back. She had not yet confessed to Grandpa that his electric light was to be switched off before the end of the summer. Christina had not found an occasion when she could summon sufficient courage to break the news to him. It would be time enough when she had to tell him. So he sang his evening hymn and read his morning psalms of thanksgiving undisturbed. And to make things even better for Christina Mary came home in June. Hugh McGillivray had gone to Toronto on business and Mary came back to the old farm for a visit during his absence. Mary looked more beautiful than ever, in her new town-made clothes, and Christina was very proud of her as they went about the village together. The practice for the Presbyterian Church's first of July picnic was in full swing, and as there were no Methodists helping this year, the Presbyterians had to do double duty. Mary went to practise with her sisters and had a grand reunion with all the girls. "Christine, where's Bruce to-night?" she asked, as they came up the hill on the way home together, with Ellen walking ahead beside Annie McKenzie. "Bruce? I don't know," confessed Christina. "Oh, he hasn't come to practise much since he came back from Toronto." "No, and it's my opinion he hasn't been going to anything else," declared Mary. "Do you know that he has been here only once since I came home?" Christina listened in dismay. She had been so absorbed in her joyous preparations for going West that she had actually not noticed what was quite apparent to Mary. "Maybe he and Ellen have had a lover's quarrel," she whispered hopefully. "Nothing of the sort," scoffed Mary. "Can you imagine any one quarrelling with Ellen or Bruce either--and as for their quarrelling between themselves!" Christina was forced to admit that was extremely unlikely. And as she watched Ellen she could not but be convinced that there was something woefully wrong between her and Bruce. "You couldn't think that he doesn't care for Ellen any more, could you?" faltered Christina as she and Mary held a second conference. "Wouldn't it be awful," cried Mary aghast. "I can't remember when Bruce wasn't in love with Ellen and was coming here to see her. It would be an insult to the whole family!" she cried hotly.