uld name
a well-known man who owns immense tracts, one of them two hundred
thousand acres not far from a town, and there it lies in idleness,
awaiting a land boom. Not long ago it was given out through the
newspapers that he had a great scheme in hand for getting settlers,
but nothing has come of it yet, and no one has much hope that it ever
will."

"I wonder if my father owns land here? Do you happen to know?"

"I think he does."

"And it is lying idle?" divining that her companion knew more than she
implied.

"As far as any outsider knows, it is."

"I see." Meryl got up and moved down the rustic verandah, standing a
moment at the far end and looking across the country with grave eyes.
Then she came back. "Has anyone ever thought of a Rhodes Scholarship,
that might take the form of grants of land and be won by competition,
I wonder? Would a scheme like that work, do you think?"

"I have often thought that it would. Besides bringing the settler, it
would more or less ensure a desirable one, if he had to prove himself
a useful, hard-working youth of good sound education. But, of course,
it would mean a big outlay. A man might inaugurate such a scheme to be
carried out by his will, but he would hardly be likely to do it in his
lifetime."

"Still, I suppose something of the kind might prove workable if the
owner of the land were content to forego a large profit, and let
settlers have farms or plots on exceptional terms, if they could prove
themselves capable, useful men?"

"Yes, that is very much what we want. The owner of the land a patriot,
keeping an eye on the scheme himself, and helping it forward for love
of the country, not holding it back and keeping it idle for the sake
of his own already well-filled pocket."

"I will sound my father about his possessions," the girl said simply,
looking to the far blue hills.

Ailsa watched her a moment covertly, and then asked with a little
wonder in her voice, "The country seems to have taken hold of you very
quickly. You speak as one who already loves it."

"I love all South Africa. I have always been happier out here than in
England. In some way it seems more thoroughly my own land."

"Why is that, do you think?"

"I hardly know, unless it is the remembrance that all we have we owe
to Africa. I believe my father was penniless when he came out here."

"It has been the same with many, but they do not remember. It is more
usual to come here for gain, and go awa