; but one or two of the
station hands had reached the engine and, following instructions, they
lifted Farren down, and wheeled him on a baggage truck to the doctor's
house. The doctor seemed to have no doubt of the man's recovery but
said that he must not be moved again for a day or two; and Hardie went
back to the station, reassured and less troubled than he had been for
some time. The attitude of the engineer, fireman, and construction
gang, was encouraging. It confirmed his belief that the lawless
element was tolerated rather than regarded with sympathy, and the
patience of the remainder of the community would become exhausted
before long. Though he admitted the influence of a bad example, he had
firm faith in the rank and file.

CHAPTER XXIII

A HARMLESS CONSPIRACY

On the evening that George left for Brandon, Edgar drove over to the
Grant homestead.

"It's Saturday night, my partner's gone, and I felt I deserved a little
relaxation," he explained.

"It's something to be able to feel that; the men who opened up this
wheat-belt never got nor wanted anything of the kind," Grant rejoined.
"But as supper's nearly ready, you have come at the right time."

Edgar turned to Flora.

"Your father always makes me feel that I belong to a decadent age. One
can put up with it from him, because he's willing to live up to his
ideas, which is not a universal rule, so far as my experience of
moralizers goes. Anyhow, I'll confess that I'm glad to arrive in time
for a meal. The cooking at our place might be improved; George, I
regret to say, never seems to notice what he eats."

"That's a pretty good sign," said Grant.

"It strikes me as a failing for which I have to bear part of the
consequences."

Flora laughed.

"If you felt that you had to make an excuse for coming, couldn't you
have made a more flattering one?"

"Ah!" said Edgar, "you have caught me out. But I could give you a
number of better reasons. It isn't my fault you resent compliments."

Flora rose and they entered the room where the hired men were gathering
for the meal. When it was over, they returned to the smaller room and
found seats near an open window, Grant smoking, Flora embroidering,
while Edgar mused as he watched her. Dressed in some simple,
light-colored material, which was nevertheless tastefully cut, she made
an attractive picture in the plainly furnished room, the walls of which
made an appropriate frame of uncovered nativ