friends. They'll play an hour,
clawing and biting. Then in a second it's dead earnest. The fur you
could gather after that would stuff a--down pillow."

Jessie's smile had vanished. She sighed.

"But it's not that way with you two folk. The cats will be playing
around again in five minutes. Alec's up against you all the time. And
you?"

Murray's smile still remained.

"Alec's his father's son, I guess. His father was my best friend. His
mother and sister I hope and believe are that way, too." Then quite
suddenly his big eyes became almost painfully serious. The deep glow
in them shone out at those he was facing. "Say, I'm going to tell you
folks just how I feel about this thing. It kind of seems this is the
moment to talk clear out. Alec's trouble is the life here. I can see
it most every way. He's a good boy. He's got points I'd like to know
I possess. He's his father over again, without his father's
experience. Say, he's a blood colt that needs the horse-breaker of
Life, and, unless he gets it, all the fine points in him are going to
get blunted and useless, and there's things in him going to grow up and
queer him for life. He needs to think right, and we folks here can't
teach him that way. Not even Father Jose. There's jest one thing to
teach him, and that's Life itself--on his own. If I figger right he'll
flounder around. He'll hit snags. He'll get bumped, and, maybe, have
some nasty falls. But it's the only way for a boy of his spirit,
and--weakness."

"Weakness?"

Jessie's echo came sharply. She resented the charge with all a
sister's loyalty. But her mother took up her challenge.

"I'm afraid Murray's right--in a way," she admitted, with a sigh. She
hated the admission, but she and her dead husband had long since
arrived at the same conclusion. "It worries me to think of," she went
on. "And it worries me to think of him out on the world--alone. I
wish I knew what's best. I've talked to Father Jose, and he agrees
with you, Murray. But----"

For some moments Jessie had been thinking hard. She was angry with
Murray. She was almost angry with her mother. Now she looked over at
the man, and her pretty eyes had a challenge in them.

"I'll go and ask Alec to come right along here," she said. "You can
talk to him here and now, Murray. Let him decide things for himself,
and you, mother, abide by them. You both guess he's a boy. He's not.
He's a man. And he's going to