then stopped
short, smitten by a recollection.

"I--I guess I've loved you from the beginning, Nora," he stammered.

She had risen to her feet and stood waiting him with shining eyes.

"But why do you say it as if---- What _is_ it, Frank?"

"I can't ask you to stay on now; I guess you'll have to take that job
in England, for a while, anyway."

"Why?"

"The inspector's condemned my whole crop; I'm busted."

"Oh, why didn't you tell me!"

"I just guess I couldn't. I made up my mind when I married you that I'd
make good. I couldn't expect you to see that it was just bad luck.
Anyone may get the weed in his crop. But, I guess a man oughtn't to have
bad luck. The odds are that it's his own fault if he has."

"Ah, now I understand about your sending for Eddie."

"I wrote to him when I knew I'd been reported."

"But what are you going to do?"

"It's all right about me; I can hire out again. It's _you_ I'm thinking
of. I felt pretty sure you wouldn't go back to Ed's. I don't fancy you
taking a position as lady help. I didn't know what was going to become
of you, my girl. And when you told me of the job you'd been offered in
England, I thought I'd have to let you go."

"Without letting me know you were in trouble!"

"Why, if I wasn't smashed up, d'you think I'd _let_ you go? By God, I
wouldn't! I'd have kept you. By God, I'd have kept you!"

"Then you're going to give up the land," she made a sweeping gesture
which took in the prospect without.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I guess I can't do that. I've put too
much work in it. And I've got my back up, now. I shall hire out for the
summer, and next winter I can get work lumbering. The land's my own,
now. I'll come back in time for the plowing next year."

He had been gazing sadly out of the door as he spoke. He turned to her
now ready to bring her what comfort he could. But in place of the
tearful face he had expected to see, he saw a face radiant with joy and
the light of love. In her hand was a little slip of colored paper which
she held out to him.

"Look!"

"What's that?"

"The nephew of the lady I was with so long--Miss Wickham, you know--has
made me a present of it. Five hundred pounds. That's twenty-five hundred
dollars, isn't it? You can take the quarter-section you've wanted so
long, next to this one. You can get all the machinery you need.
And"--she gave a little, happy, mirthful laugh--"you can get some cows!
I've learned to do so many