can get the binder out to-morrow and see that it
is ready by the day after. We might have been through with the corn
to-day, but I've been lazy of late. I knocked off and rested and read most
of the hot part of yesterday afternoon," Hugh replied slowly. He wished in
his heart that he could tell all.

"That's the thing to do. I'm not going to have you going down to Mitchell
County while it's so hot. You'll lay around the house and read, that's
what You'll do, and I'll run this farm for a while."

The thought of that took Hugh Noland's breath. That was what he was
running away from, but he could think of no reason but his health, and
dropped the subject to get away from it.

John Hunter asked questions about every feature of the farm work, and as
he asked watched Hugh's face, looking anxiously for signs of breaking
health. Under no conditions would he let Hugh get sick. Hugh had been the
happiest circumstance of this farming experience. There was a discouraged
note in Hugh's voice that John did not like.

"Did you see Morgan to-day?" he asked after he had had all the farm work
explained to him.

"Oh, now, don't you get to worrying because I happen to mention my health.
Yes, I saw Morgan, and he agreed with me that the other place would be
better for me. I can run that and you can run this, and with care we ought
to make some money pretty soon."

"But that takes you away from us and--and we want you here!" John
exclaimed with such fervour that Hugh winced under it.

Hugh smiled so sadly back at the eager, boyish face turned to his that
John was more than ever sure he was ill. His hand shot out to him with an
almost womanish sympathy.

"We'll see to it that you're kept busy where you belong, and the work
won't wear you out either, my boy," he said.

Hugh saw that he was getting deeper in at every word he uttered and went
back to a discussion of the farm work.

Elizabeth waited intentionally till she saw the men pass Nathan's house
before she started home. Try as she would, she did not yearn for her
husband's return. Life was short, her youth was going fast, and her fear
of the faded life grew as she looked forward to an old age spent with John
Hunter after Hugh's departure. Hugh must go, there was no question about
that. He had told her night before last that he thought of it; had spoken
of it incidentally enough, but in such wise that the girl knew why he was
going. She had felt at the time that Hugh listened f