It appealed to her with an overwhelming force, but she was
also conscious of a strange dismay. She turned to him with a flush of
color in her cheeks and her eyes shining.

"Oh," she said, "it's splendid."

Wyllard smiled. "What could I do?" he said, "I sent them."

CHAPTER XIV

AGATHA PROVES OBDURATE

It was two days later when Agatha, coming back from a stroll across the
prairie with the two little girls, found Mrs. Hastings awaiting her at
the homestead door.

"I'll take the kiddies. Harry Wyllard's here, and he seems quite anxious
to see you, though I don't know what he wants," she said.

She flashed a searching glance at the girl, whose face, however,
remained impassive. It was not often that Agatha's composure broke down.

"Don't wait," she added, "you had better go in this minute. Allen has
been arguing with him the last half-hour, and can't get any sense into
him. It seems to me the man's crazy; but he might, perhaps, listen to
you."

"I think that is scarcely likely," replied Agatha.

Mrs. Hastings made a sign of impatience. "Then," she rejoined, "it's a
pity. Anyway, if he speaks to you about his project you can tell him
that it's altogether unreasonable."

She drew aside, and Agatha walked into the room in which she had had her
painful interview with Gregory. Wyllard, who rose as she came in, stood
quietly watching her.

"Nellie Hastings or her husband has been telling you what they think of
my idea?" he said questioningly.

"Yes," Agatha answered. "Their opinion evidently hasn't much weight with
you."

"Haven't you a message for me?" he asked. "You were sent to denounce my
folly--and you can't do it. If you trusted your own impulses you would
give me your benediction instead." He smiled down at her.

Agatha, who was troubled with a sense of regret, saw a suggestive
wistfulness in his face.

"No," she said slowly, "I can't denounce your folly, as they call your
decision to go North. For one reason, I have no right of any kind to
force my views on you."

"You told Mrs. Hastings that?"

It seemed an unwarranted question, but the girl admitted the truth
frankly.

"In one sense I did. I suggested that there was no reason why you should
listen to me."

Wyllard smiled again. "Nellie and her husband are good friends of mine,
but sometimes our friends are a little too officious. Anyway, it doesn't
count. If you had had that right, you would have told me to go."

Agatha felt the wa