er and handsome in his loose yellow shirt,
duck overalls, and long boots, though the marks of the journey were
freely scattered about him. Flora glanced at the jaded teams and the
miry wagons and smiled at the lad. She had a good idea of the
difficulties he had overcome.

"The trail must have been pretty bad," she said. "I struck off to the
east by the creek, but I don't think you could get through with a load."

"It was quite bad enough," Edgar assured her. Flora looked thoughtful.

"You have only two wagons; we must try to send you another, though our
teams are busy. Didn't you say Mr. Lansing would be back in a day or
two?"

"I did, but I got a note this morning saying he thought he had better
go on to Winnipeg, if I could get along all right. I told him to go
and stop as long as he likes. Considering the state of the trails, I
thought that was wise."

Flora smiled. She knew what he meant, since they had agreed that all
the seed must be hauled in before his comrade's return.

"I'm not going to thank you; it would be difficult, and George can ride
over and do so when he comes home," Edgar resumed. "I know he'll be
astonished when he sees the granary."

"If he comes only to express his gratitude, I'm inclined to believe my
father would rather he stayed at home."

"I can believe it; but I've an idea that Mr. Grant is not the only
person to whom thanks are due."

Flora looked at him sharply, but she made no direct answer.

"Your partner," she said, "compels one's sympathy."

"And one's liking. I don't know how he does so, and it isn't from any
conscious desire. I suppose it's a gift of his."

Seeing she was interested, he went on with a thoughtful air:

"You see, George isn't witty, and you wouldn't consider him handsome.
In fact, sometimes he's inclined to be dull, but you feel that he's the
kind of man you can rely on. There's not a trace of meanness in him,
and he never breaks his word. In my opinion, he has a number of the
useful English virtues."

"What are they, and are they peculiarly English?"

"I'll call them Teutonic; I believe that's their origin. You people
and your neighbors across the frontier have your share of them."

"Thanks," smiled Flora. "But you haven't begun the catalogue."

"Things are often easier to recognize than to describe. At the top of
the list, and really comprising the rest of it, I'd place, in the
language of the country, the practical ability to 'get t