Year: 1879

Ralph Keystone was one of those men who combine a talent for practical things with an active imaginu. on. He was at the same time most impractical man in affairs of business. Like all i'm aginative men, he early found a woman whom Ee could clothe in ideal charms, and then fell in love witll her. Jane Besant was the only daughter of Farmer Besant, who owned and operated an im- mense wheat farm not far from the viii lago of Muskalontic. To Farmer Besant went Ralph in the first flush of his love for Jane.

 You wish to marry Jane?"

 The young man replied. Not immedi- ately," for just at the time he was out of employment.

 That's just it, Keystone" said the farmer; "you are out of work for the fourth time since you came from the East. How can you marry on so un- certain a prospect? You are too up- stable; you do not stick to anything"

 Ralph admitted he had been unfortu- nate in his ventures; but he still had 8 little money left, and he would now go into some manufacturing business.

 Manufacturing, indeed There's nothing but farms, within fifty miles. Wheat is the only thing that pays here, unless it be lumber, and there isn't a sawmill within a hundred miles"

 "Then might start one" said Ralph, catching at this straw, for he felt him self sinking. He could make no head way against this hard, practical man, who knew nothing beyond wheat.

 "Start a sawmill! Where's your power? And, if you had it, how could you compete with the mills up the river? Look here, Ralph, l don't want to be hard on you. l see, you love Jane and Jane loves you-at least she seems to think so."

 That's the truth" said Ralph. ",We love each other dearly"

 "Now I'll make bargain with you, If you will go into some business, and make it a success, you shall have Jane that is, if she wants you"

 ''Thank you, sir" said the young man. "Pll start the sawmill at once"

 The road to the village followed the river for some distance through Farmer Besant's land, and then turned east through the woods toward the village. Ralph walked along in dazed fashion mentally numb with his refusal, his body walking automatically, just as it will when the mind is absorbed in contcm- plation. At the turn of the road his feet took the right direction for home, but after going few steps he stopped abruptly, and turned back to the river. The Muskalontic is a wide, shallow stream, winding sluggishly through the country, its banks being hereabouts heavily fringed with woods.

 The young man left the road and fol- lowed the shore down stream, walking quickly, as if looking for something. Like all imaginative people, he had been given to wandering about the country, and was familiar with the land for miles around Muskalontic. He remembered having seens falling into the river, be- tween two low hills, slender brook, half lost in the woods.

 Just as he had supposed. It was a living stream, still running, though it was August. He looked at the tiny run for 8 moment, and then started briskly up its winding channel, carefully noting the slope and character of the ground After walking short distance he found the little valley narrowed, and then spread out into aslough, marsh, where the stream was lost in pools and sedges.

 Like a prospector searching for pre- cious metals when he finds vein, he threw up his hat with a cheer.

 live won her! l fancy the old gen. tleman will let us marry now"

 Just then tkere came through the woods the sound of 9 passing steamer on the river, and the young man smiled.

 "I'll beat those fellows yet. They take all this trade up the river, and leave this farming region to stagnate. We must have manufactures here, and they shall begin with sawfhill.n

 Keystone sat up all night over his drawing paper and pencils. Two days after saw three woodman felling trees by the little brook The land belonged to Farmer Besant, and he had consented that dam should be erected thereon. If Keystone was fool enough to sink his money in improving the bit of water power he thought he had found, he was at liberty to do so, provided he gave half the work when finished to the landownr. e with half the lumber cut on the Ian