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Rh her head again among her own people, and her imagination had also been filled with Steve's account of the bright, breezy city of the new world, and its freer, broader life, and its wonderful school advantages for the children. So that Sarah's hopefully prophetic words to her lover, "the shadows have begun to brighten," seemed to be coming more and more true with every passing week.

As for Sarah, her cheerful face and light step had told Jonathan so much, but he felt that he could not go abroad with Aske until he had had some confidential intercourse with her. On the last day that he purposed being at the mills, before leaving, he stopped at her loom. Jonas Shuttleworth was with him, but he had lingered at a loom lower down, and in the few moment's interval Jonathan bent over her work, and said, "I am going away, my lass, for three months, happen for more. I must see thee first. Where will ta be at nine o'clock to-night?"

"I'll be at the stile to Barton Woods."

"I'll be there, too, wet or fine."

Then Jonas joined him. Both men stood and watched Sarah's work for a few minutes, and then passed on. But all day Jonathan had the