ld see her uncle at dinner-time.

Foss River had not yet risen to the civilized state of late dinners and
indigestion. Early rising and hard work demanded early meals and hearty
feeding. Dinner generally occurred at noon--an hour at which European
society thinks of taking its _dejeuner_. By rising late society can thus
avoid what little fresh, wholesome air there is to be obtained in a
large city. Civilization jibs at early rising. Foss River was still a
wild and savage country.

At noon Jacky came in to dinner. She had not seen her uncle since
breakfast. The old man had not returned from the settlement. Truth to
tell he wished to avoid his niece as much as possible for to-day. As
dinner-time came round he grew nervous and uncomfortable, and was half
inclined to accept "old man" Smith's invitation to dine at the saloon.
Then he realized that this would only alarm Jacky and set her thinking.
Therefore he plucked up the shattered remains of his moral courage and
returned to the ranch. When a man looses his last grip on his
self-respect he sinks with cruel rapidity. "Poker" John told himself
that he was betraying his niece's affection, and with this assurance he
told himself that he was the lowest-down cur in the country. The natural
consequence to a man of his habit and propensity was--drink. The one
time in his life when he should have refrained from indulgence he drank;
and with each drink he made the fatal promise to himself that it should
be the last.

When Jacky saw him swaying as he came up towards the house she could
have cried out in very anguish. It smote her to the heart to see the old
man whom she so loved in this condition. Yet when he lurched on to the
veranda she smiled lovingly up into his face and gave no sign that she
had any knowledge of his state.

"Come right along, uncle," she said gayly, linking her arm within his,
"dinner is on. You must be good and hungry, you made such a poor
breakfast this morning."

"Yes, child, I wasn't very well," he mumbled thickly. "Not very
well--now."

"You poor dear, come along," and she led him in through the open window.

During the meal Jacky talked incessantly. She talked of everything but
what had upset her uncle. She avoided any reference to Lablache with
great care. But, in spite of her cheerfulness, she could not rouse the
degenerate old man. Rather it seemed that, as the meal progressed, he
became gloomier. The truth was the girl's apparent light-heartedn