it."

"When it gets into your crop," Marsh explain for Nora's benefit, "you've
got to report it. If you don't, one of the neighbors is sure to. And
then they send an inspector along, and if _he_ condemns it, why you just
have to destroy the whole crop, and all your year's work goes for
nothing. You're lucky, in that case, if you've got a bit of money laid
by in the bank and can go on till next year when the next crop comes
along."

"We've only got a quarter-section and we've got five children. It's not
much money you can save then."

"But----" began Nora.

"Are they out with the inspector now?" asked Marsh.

"Yes. He came out from Prentice this morning early."

"This will be a bad job for Frank."

"Yes, but he hasn't got the mouths to feed that we have. I can't think
what's to become of us. He can hire out again."

Nora's face flushed.

"I--I wonder why he hasn't told me anything about it. I asked him, only
this morning, what was troubling him. I was sure there was something,
but he said not," she said sadly.

"Oh, I guess he's always been in the habit of keeping his troubles to
himself, and you haven't taught him different yet."

Nora was about to make a sharp retort, but realizing that her good
neighbor was half beside herself with anxiety and nervousness, she said
nothing. A fact which the unobservant Eddie noted with approval.

"Well," he said as cheerfully as he could, "you must hope for the best,
Mrs. Sharp."

"Sid says we've only got it in one place. But perhaps he's only saying
it, so as I shouldn't worry. But you know what them inspectors are; they
don't lose nothin' by it. It don't matter to _them_ if you starve all
winter!"

Suddenly she began to cry. Great sobs wracked her heavy frame. The big
tears rolled down her cheeks. Nora had never seen her give way before,
even when she talked of the early hardships she had endured, or of the
little one she had lost. She was greatly moved, for this good, brave
woman who had already suffered so much.

"Oh, don't--don't cry, dear Mrs. Sharp. After all, it may all turn out
right."

"They won't condemn the whole crop unless it's very bad, you know,"
Marsh reminded her. "Too many people have got their eyes on it; the
machine agent and the loan company."

Mrs. Sharp had regained her self-control in sufficient measure to permit
of her speaking. She still kept making little dabs at her eyes with a
red bandanna handkerchief, and her voice broke occasion