"That will be three days from now," answered Thane innocently. Did Mr. Withers imagine that he would wait three years!
"But what becomes of the—the placer-mine?"
"The placer-mine be—the placer-mine will keep! She is shutting up her book; the sketch is finished. Will you hold the umbrella, sir, or shall I put it down?"
Mr. Withers took hold of the umbrella handle; the wind shook it and nearly tugged it out of his grasp. "Put it down, if you please," he murmured resignedly. But by this time Thane was half across the road to where Daphne, with penknife and finger-tips, was trying to strip the top layer of blackened sandpaper from her pencil-scrubber; turning her face aside, because, woman-like, she would insist on casting her pencil-dust to windward.
Thane smiled, and took the scrubber out of her hands, threw away the soiled sheet, sealed up the pad in a clean stamped envelope, which bore across the end the legend, "If not delivered within ten days, return to"—"Robert Henry Thane," he wrote, with his address, and gave her back her property. It was all very childish, yet his hand trembled as he wrote; and Daphne looked on with the solemnity of a child learning a new game.
"May I see the sketch?" he asked.
They bent together over her book, while Daphne endeavored to find the place; the wind fluttered the leaves, and she was so long in finding it that Mr. Kinney had time to pack up her stool and umbrella, and cross the road to say good-by to Mr. Withers.
"Here it is," said Thane, catching sight of the drawing. He touched the book-holder lightly on the arm, to turn her away from the sun. Her shadow fell across the open page; their backs were to the wagon. So they stood a full half-minute,—Thane seeing nothing, hearing his heart beat preposterously in the silence.
"Why don't you praise my sign-posts?" asked Daphne nervously. "See my beautiful distance,—one straight line!"
"I have changed my plans a little," said Thane. Daphne closed the book. "I shall see you again in Boise. This is good-by—for three days. Take care of yourself." He held out his hand. "I shall meet your train at Bliss."