She walked slowly in the direction of the Redrock road, in hope of meeting her brother. At the end of three blocks, she came face to face with Mont Gray, who had just been finishing up some accounts at the tool works.
"Where are you going, may I ask?" he said, with a smile.
"To meet Jack," replied Deb. "He ought to be home by this time."
"Perhaps the work took longer than he expected," observed the young man. "You know he hates to leave a job until it's done."
"Oh, I know that. But I wish he would come, anyway; I can't bear to have him away now."
"Depend upon it, he can take good care of himself," added Mont. "Come, shall I walk home with you?"
"I suppose I might as well go," returned the girl, slowly, and turned back. "Oh, I'm so awfully nervous," she added.
"Your troubles have been too much for you," he answered, kindly. "They would have been for almost any one."
Though Mont's capital was, as we know, rather limited, he was anxious to help Deb and Jack all he could. Yet he hardly knew how to broach the subject.
"Did you--did Mr. Hammerby call again?" he asked, hesitatingly.