he young man, but of his young lady and of all her near family
relatives, the difficulty of securing men for the West is sensibly
increased."

"I think that is just horrid of him," exclaimed Betty indignantly. "The
young lady ought to be consulted. Don't you think so?" turning to Lloyd.

"Why certainly, and yet--"

"Most assuredly," said Mrs. Fairbanks. "Would you ask a young lady to
go out and bury herself alive in such a country as that, or ask her to
wait an indefinite number of years till the young man should return?
Why it is simply monstrous." And Mrs. Fairbanks fixed her glasses
firmly on her nose and gazed at Brown as if she would annihilate him.

"Why certainly I would," replied Brown, quite unabashed; "and if she
loved me," placing his hand over his heart, "she would be glad to do
either. I would simply remark, 'My love, I'm off for Greenland.' 'Wait,
my dear,' she would promptly reply, 'till I get my furs.'"

"All the same," said Lloyd seriously, "it would be a terrible life for
any woman, and a man should hesitate before asking her to share it."

"No society, nothing congenial in environment! Quite impossible!"
exclaimed Mrs. Fairbanks with great emphasis. "And quite absurd to
dream of it."

"Then," replied Brown warmly to Lloyd, "the only available men for your
Chief, apparently, are hopeless old bachelors or young men, however
worthy like myself, who are still unappropriated."

"Exactly," said Mrs. Fairbanks with an air of finality.

"But, Mrs. Fairbanks," exclaimed The Don, "what of our soldiers and
officers who go to India and other outlandish places? They take their
wives along with them, I understand?"

"That's quite a different thing, Mr. Balfour," said Mrs. Fairbanks.
"These men go out to serve their Queen and country, and it is
recognised as the proper thing, and--well, you see, it is quite
different."

"I must say," exclaimed Helen, fastening to forestall the hot answer
she knew to be at The Don's lips, "I agree with Mr. Brown. If a man's
work calls him to Greenland, his wife ought to go with him or she ought
to be willing to wait his return."

"Helen, you speak like a sentimental school-girl," replied Mrs.
Fairbanks with a touch of haughty scorn. "Of course if a man is married
and duty calls him to a foreign land, he must go. But why should a girl
throw away her prospects and condemn herself to a life of obscurity and
isolation by attaching herself to a man who chooses to take up som