nt to pat the dog, while she
dried her eyes under cover of the movement. "Certainly! It can make no
difference!"

But as the Harvester drew a deep breath of relief, she suddenly
straightened to full height and looked straight at him.

"Oh what is the use to tell a pitiful lie!" she cried. "It does make a
difference! It makes all the difference in the world! I need that money!
I need it unspeakably. I owe a debt I must pay. What----what did I
understand you to say ginseng is worth?"

"If you will take a few steps," said the Harvester, "and make yourself
comfortable on this log in the shade, I will tell you all I know about
it."

The girl walked swiftly to the log indicated, seated herself, and
waited. The Harvester followed to a respectful distance.

"I can't tell to an ounce what wet roots would weigh," he said as easily
as he could command his voice to speak with the heart in him beating
wildly, "and of course they lose greatly in drying; but I've handled
enough that I know the weight I carried home will come to six pounds at
the very least. Then you must figure on some loss, because I dug
this before it really was ready. It does not reach full growth until
September, and if it is taken too soon there is a decrease in weight. I
will make that up to you when I return it."

The troubled eyes were gazing on his face intently, and the Harvester
studied them as he talked.

"You would think, then, there would be all of six pounds?

"Yes," said the Harvester, "closer eight. When I replace the shrinkage
there is bound to be over seven."

"And how much did I understand you to say it brought a pound?"

"That all depends," answered he. "If you cure it yourself, and dry it
too much, you lose in weight. If you carry it in a small lot to the
druggists of Onabasha, probably you will not get over five dollars for
it."

"Five?"

It was a startled cry.

"How much did you expect?" asked the Harvester gently.

"Uncle Henry said he thought he could get fifty cents a pound for all I
could find."

"If your Uncle Henry has learned at last that ginseng is a salable
article he should know something about the price also. Will you tell
me what he said, and how you came to think of gathering roots for the
market?"

"There were men talking beneath the trees one Sunday afternoon about old
times and hunting deer, and they spoke of people who made money long ago
gathering roots and barks, and they mentioned one man who lived by i