He did not realize
that she had been compelled to consider the matter hopeless.

It was agreed that Hugh should lift the indebtedness and have one half
interest in the concern, land and stock. There would be about five hundred
dollars left over after all the debts were paid, and John gleefully
decided to buy some more calves with the residue.

"But we shall need every cent of that for running expenses this summer,"
Noland objected.

"Oh, well, if we do, we can always get money on sixty or ninety day
loans," John replied easily.

"I'd rather not go into debt, with my health," the new partner said
decidedly.

He happened to look across at Elizabeth and caught the alert sign of
approval in her face. He had heard Silas and some others discuss the
Hunter mortgages, but here was a still more significant evidence.
Elizabeth had not signalled him, but the look told the story; in fact, it
told more than the girl had intended.

"I should consider it a necessary condition of any business I went into,"
he added steadily. "I am an uncertain quantity, as I have told you, with
this heart, and I could not be worried with debts."

Elizabeth did not look at him this time, but he saw the look of
satisfaction and heard her indrawn breath. And now the really lovable side
of Hugh Noland began to show out. Feeling now that he was a real member of
the family, he began to give himself to its pleasing features. The
evening's reading became a thing to which the whole group looked forward.
The flow of companionship exceeded anything any member of the family had
ever anticipated. Jake arrived in time for the spring work, as he had
agreed, and was astonished by every feature of the family life which he
saw about him. Elizabeth was cheerful, even happy, while John Hunter was
another man. Jake figured out the changes about him wistfully, craving a
part in the good-fellowship. Here was contentment such as Jake had never
witnessed. Not a trace of the old tragic conditions seemed to remain. Jake
had missed the key to the situation by his absence at the time of the
blizzard, but he was keenly aware that some change had been wrought. He
studied Hugh Noland and was even more enthusiastic about his personality
and powers than the family. All called the new man by his given name, a
sure sign of their affection.

Elizabeth had worked a radical change in her life. Jake watched her come
and go without remark from her husband, give her orders to Hugh to