“You’ll get over it in time, Betty,” David replied.  “But, see, what a change they have made in our path.  Why, it’s a regular road now.”

“I don’t like it one bit,” Betty protested.  “It isn’t half as nice as it was before.  I hope they haven’t touched my rock.  If they have, somebody’s going to get a big scolding.”

Talking thus and passing remarks upon everything they saw, the two moved slowly along the newly-made road.  Several freighting teams passed them and the drivers looked with interest upon the old man and the bright-faced girl.

“They all know you, Mr. David,” Betty remarked.  “Did you notice how the men lifted their hats!”

“They did it to you, girl,” was the reply.  “Why should they do such a thing to me?”

“Because you are great, that is why.  They all know of the wonderful thing you had in your head.  Oh!” she suddenly exclaimed, stopping short in her tracks.

“What is the matter?” David asked.

“They have taken away my rock!  Look, there are only little pieces of it left.”

“They needed it, no doubt, for the works up there, Betty.  You must not mind when it has been put to such good use.”

Betty, nevertheless, felt badly, and for a while she ceased her chattering and walked along quietly by her companion’s side.  At length they came to a place where the road left the path and swung to the right.

“Isn’t this nice!” Betty exclaimed.  “Some of our dear old path is left, anyway, and we can follow it and forget that any changes have been made.”

The path ran close to the brook and after they had followed this for several hundred yards through a growth of young birches and maples, they came to a clearing which had been made since they were last there.  Above them was the road, and on its lower side was a large pile of big poles ready to be rolled into the brook.

“I wonder what they left them there for?” David enquired.

“Oh, I know,” Betty replied.  “Mr. Jasper told us, don’t you remember, that they left a lot of poles to be used along the brook.  They must be the ones.”

“So he did tell us that,” the old man mused.  “Your memory is better than mine.  Suppose we sit down here and rest a while.  That walk has tired me.”

“There’s a nice place right in front of that big stump close to the brook,” and Betty pointed with her finger.  “We can rest there and eat a part of our lunch.”

When they had reached the place Betty began to unpack the basket.  First of all she spread down a white cloth, and then laid out the sandwiches and cake.  Then she paused, and a look of dismay overspread her face.

“We forgot to bring anything to drink!” she exclaimed.  “I had the milk all ready in the bottle and came away without it.  What shall we do?”

“Oh, never mind,” David replied.  “We can drink some of this brook water, can we not?”