rom years of
long acquaintance. Ben had promised to help her select a horse, and she
had agreed to bring the Captain to call on Alice, who was staying with
some friends not far away.

This change in Bertha's manner extended to Alice, who returned it in
kind. The guilelessness which shone from the young wife's clear eyes was
unmistakable. She was growing handsome, too. The flush of blood in her
cheeks had submerged her freckles, and Alice began to realize how the
poor child's devotion to Marshall Haney had reacted against her native
good health. "She is but a child even now," she thought.

Haney was sitting on the porch where they had left him, the collie at
his feet, but at sight of them returning he rose and hobbled slowly down
the walk, his heart filled with tenderness and admiration for his wife.
He had never ridden with her, but he had once seen her mounted, and one
of his expressed wishes had been that he might be able to sit a saddle
once more and ride by her side.

"Come in and stay to dinner!" he called, hospitably, and Bertha eagerly
seconded the invitation.

But Alice replied: "I'm pretty tired; I think I'll go home. You can stay
if you like, Ben."

Ben, smitten with sudden contrition, quickly said: "Oh no; I will go
with you. I'm afraid you've ridden too far."

She protested against this, for Bertha's relief. "Not at all. It's a
good tiredness. It's been great fun."

And with promises of another expedition of the same sort they rode away,
while Bertha and Haney remained at the gate to examine the new horse.

As little Mrs. Haney re-entered the house with her husband the day
seemed to lose its magical brightness, and to decline to a humdrum,
shadowless flare. The house became cold and gloomy and the day empty.
For the first time since its purchase she mentally asked herself: "What
will I do now?" It was as if some ruling motive had suddenly been
withdrawn from her life.

This empty, aching spot remained with her all through the day, even when
she took Haney for his drive down-town, and only disappeared for a few
moments as they met young Fordyce on the street. It troubled her as she
returned to the house, and she was glad that Williams came in to take
supper with them, for his talk of the mine diverted her and deeply
interested her husband.

Williams eyed his boss critically. "You're gainin', Captain. You'll soon
be able to make camp again."

"I hope so, but the doctor says my heart's affected an