their neutrality,
and he denounced Canada for being so slow, and always ended up by
declaring that Germany would win and wishing with all his heart that,
instead of being sixty, he were Trooper's age and were riding with him
in the Princess Pats.

This sort of talk made an uncomfortable home atmosphere for young
Wallace, who had no desires to be up and away from the comfortable
fire-side and all the pleasant surroundings of Orchard Glen, and just
now his environment, with Christina Lindsay's bright eyes to welcome
him wherever he went, was pleasanter than he had ever dreamed it could
be.

But if the Doctor's fiery patriotism did not greatly disturb his
nephew, it made life quite miserable for his sister. Indeed the poor
lady had more troubles in these days than many a mother who had sent
her son to the Front.

The thing she had most feared had come upon her; namely that Wallace
should take up in the vulgar country fashion with one of the young
women of the village. She had to confess to herself that of all the
Orchard Glen girls the Lindsays were perhaps the least objectionable,
and Christina's manner seemed always quiet and well bred. But at best
the case was very dreadful. Suppose Wallace became infatuated, and
Wallace had a habit of doing that, what might not happen? He might
even want to settle down on a farm here and be married, and he with all
Uncle William's wealth at his disposal if he would only make proper use
of his opportunities!

There was just one fate that would be worse than remaining in Orchard
Glen, Wallace might take a notion to enlist, and his Uncle's outbursts
of temper were sufficient to drive the boy to do anything desperate.

She sat herself with all her might to the task of making him study
hard, so that he would be ready to go back to college in the States and
be away from all the temptations of both Christina and the war. But
making Wallace study was a heavy task, especially now with his
infatuation for the Lindsay girl growing stronger every day.

He was off almost every night with the village rabble. He joined the
Presbyterian choir, and the Temperance Society, and went to Bible Class
every Sunday afternoon. And the time that was left from these
engagements, she suspected, he spent at the Lindsay farm.

Indeed her mind was not at rest concerning him even during the hours
when he was supposed to be under the tutelage of Mr. Sinclair, though
Miss Margaret was away. No one kne