d, Featherstone looked up with
some color in his face.

"Thank you," he said. "It is a moving tale. The money we sent you was
well spent. I could have expected nothing better of my son. But I
suppose you found it paid to keep your promise."

"In this case, it did," Foster answered with a smile. "Hulton's gave
us the first chance of any work they did not care to do themselves; you
see, we had put in a few wood-working machines. In fact, after a time,
Hulton told Lawrence to walk through the factory now and then and send
in anything the heads of departments required. But I've talked long
enough and fear you're bored."

"No," said Featherstone simply, "you have given us great pleasure and
made us realize the bracing life my son is leading. You could have
done us no favor that would equal this."

Then he took Foster off to the gun-room, where they smoked and talked
about the day's shooting, until Featherstone said rather abruptly,
"Perhaps I had better tell you that I didn't send Lawrence the check
that enabled you to build the mill. It was not in my power to do so
then."

"But he said the money came from home."

"It did. Alice was left a small legacy and insisted on selling the
shares it consisted of in order to help her brother. I must confess
that I thought she was rash, but the money was hers. Now it is obvious
that the sacrifice she made was justified."

Featherstone began to talk about something else, but Foster felt
embarrassed. It looked as if he owed his success in business to the
girl's generosity, and although he could not see why this should
disturb him, it did.

He went down to dinner rather early and found Alice in the hall. There
was nobody else about, and by the way she looked up as he advanced he
thought she had been waiting for him. Alice had beauty, but it was her
proud reserve he felt most. She did not give her friendship lightly,
but he believed it was worth winning.

"I wanted to thank you for explaining things so well," she said. "It's
the first time we have really learned much about my brother's life in
Canada."

Foster hesitated, "I felt that you wanted to know. But, in a way, it
must have sounded rather egotistical. In fact, the thing wasn't as
easy as you perhaps think."

Alice smiled. "You couldn't leave yourself out, although it was
obvious that you meant to give my brother the leading part."

"I honestly don't think I exaggerated."

"No," she agreed, "it so