Grant sent you, and then you'll be
able to thank him for it," he said. "It's in here; I turned out the
common northern stuff you bought to make room."

"Why didn't you put it into the empty place in the barn?" George asked.

"I wasn't sure it would go in; there's rather a lot of it," Edgar
explained, with a smile.

George entered the granary and stopped, astonished, when he saw the
great pile of bags.

"Is all of that the new seed?" he asked incredulously.

"Every bag," said Edgar, watching him.

George's face reddened. He was stirred by mixed emotions: relief,
gratitude, and a feeling of confusion he could not analyze.

"Grant must have sent the whole carload!" he broke out.

"As a matter of fact, he sent most of it. Grierson and I hauled it in;
and a tough job we had of it."

"And you took it all, without protesting or sending me word?"

"Yes," said Edgar coolly; "that's precisely what I did. You need the
stuff; Grant meant you to have it, and I didn't want to offend him."

"I suppose you have some idea what that seed is worth?"

"I dare say I could guess. Our people at home once experimented with
some American seed potatoes at three shillings each. But aren't you
putting the matter on a rather low plane?"

George sat down and felt for his pipe.

"I feel that you have played a trick on me. If you had only let me
know, I could have objected."

"Just so; that's why I kept quiet," Edgar laughed. "The seed's here
and you ought to be thankful. Anyway, Grant won't take it back."

"What have I done that I should get this favor?" George said half aloud.

"That's so characteristic!" Edgar exclaimed. "Why must you always be
doing things? Do you imagine that whatever one receives is the result
of so much exertion?"

"I don't feel the least interest in such quibbles."

"I can't believe it," Edgar rejoined. "You're more at home when you
have a fence to put up, or a strip of new land to break." Then he
dropped his bantering tone. "There's nothing to be distressed about.
Grant has been pretty generous, and I think he and Flora need thanking."

"That's true; they've made me feel half ashamed. I never expected
this."

"In my opinion, the sensation's quite unnecessary. You have given a
few people a lift in your time, and I've an optimistic notion that
actions of the kind recoil on one, even though it's a different person
who makes you some return."

"I wish you would stop talking!" George excl