ds to herself. For Bud there were only a few. She
glanced over the superscription of each. One or two were easily
recognized business letters. There was a paper, however, addressed in
Jeff's hand, and a letter of considerable bulk. These were what she
had been looking for. She pushed the bunkhouse mail aside, and
regarded reflectively the outer covering of Jeff's letter to her father.

It was not the first he had received from Jeff during the four weeks
since their return home. But its bulk this time was out of the
ordinary, and the carefully folded news sheet was more than
interesting. It awakened every doubt, every fear to which she had been
a prey.

The rapid beating of her heart left her with a choking sensation.
Vivid imagination was at work, and she was reading in fancy under those
covers that which, sooner or later, she knew she must read in fact.

These were bad moments for the girl, moments which found her again
struggling with that self which left her little enough peace. Perhaps
the struggle lasted five minutes. Perhaps less. At any rate it seemed
an eternity to Nan before the hired girl announced the meal.

Nan sighed as she moved from the side table on which the mail was
spread out.

"Give father a call," she said, and took up a position at the open
French window.

Her back was turned when Bud responded to the summons. The cold sluice
he had just indulged in seemed to have entirely restored his
equanimity. His voice came cheerily.

"Guess we best set in, little gal," he said, moving to his place at the
table. "We'll need to get busy after."

Nan turned. She watched Maimie deposit the hot dishes. Then, when the
girl had withdrawn, she took her place opposite her father.

"There's a deal of mail for Jeff," she said, as she sat down. "There's
some for you, too, Daddy. There's a letter and--a newspaper. Maybe
you'd feel like reading them right away. Guess there won't be time
after."

With all her might she struggled for indifference. With all her might
she desired that her father should miss the fears which prompted her.
But she only succeeded in telling him of them in every word she spoke.

Bud agreed readily. He rose and fetched his letter--and the newspaper
which Nan so feared.

Nan went on with her food. Her father tore open the covering of the
letter. She was watching him covertly and silently whilst he read page
after page. She was searching for confirmation of her