“Yell both forgive me, won’t ye, fer throwin’ that stone?” he whispered.

“At the quarry, you mean?” Jess asked.

“Yes, that, an’ the stick on the shore.  The devil got into me, I guess.”

“Certainly I forgive you, Eben, for what you did to me, and I know John will do the same.”

“Indeed I will,” the latter agreed.  “You have made up for all that many times over.  You risked your life for my mother and Miss Randall.  We can never repay you.”

“I don’t think I’d a done it but fer that stone, Miss.  Ye see, I couldn’t git it out of my mind, so I wanted to make up in some way fer the harm I did.  That was my only chance.”

“And were you really thinking of that when you came through the fire to save us?” Jess asked in surprise.

“Yes, Miss, I was.  I’m awful sorry fer what I did.  I was a big fool, all right.”

Just then his father returned, so nothing more was said about the matter.

“They won’t come,” the captain announced.  “They say they’re not dressed to receive company, an’ I guess they’re right.  Martha does sartinly git on queer togs when she looks after the barn an’ the chickens.  I wish to goodness, Miss, ye’d slip out an’ surprise her.  It’d be a fine joke.”

“Oh, that wouldn’t be fair,” Jess laughingly replied.  “I wouldn’t like for anyone to do that to me.  We can come again.”

Having bidden the captain and his son good-night, the young couple strolled down through the field toward the shore.  The darkness had now deepened, but before them flowed the river, touched with the last rich rosy tints of the departed sun.

“Isn’t it beautiful!” Jess exclaimed, as she stopped and looked out upon the water.  “This is a perfect ending of a perfect day.”

“It has truly been a wonderful day,” John replied, “but I am not sure yet about the perfect ending.  That remains to be seen.”

“In what way, John?  Could anything be more perfect than this?”

“Come, and I will explain,” was all the young man said, as once more they moved forward,

They passed along the path leading to Beech Cove, and when near the shore, they sat down upon an old log which years before had been stranded upon the beach.

“This is where Eben threw the stick,” Jess remarked, as she looked around.  “He has changed a great deal since then.  He was not one bit jealous of you to-night.”

John laughed as he nervously tore off a splinter from the log and broke it into bits.  “I had two rivals then, but now I have none.  One has repented of his own free will, while the other will trouble you no longer.  Are you glad?”

“I suppose I should be,” the girl slowly replied.

“And it will not be necessary to run away from your father now, and work for your own living,” John continued.  “So that matter is settled.”

“But I have no father now,” was the low response.  “You have taken my place, so if I don’t work I shall have to depend upon my own mother for a living, and I could not think of doing that.”