bite to eat, dear, while I go round and
order the horse."

On my way I met Garry and told him I would be gone over night. "Won't
you come?" I asked.

"No, thanks, old man, I don't feel like a night drive."

"All right. Good-bye."

So I hurried off, and soon after, with a jingle of bells, I drove up to
my door. Berna had made supper. She seemed excited. Her eyes were starry
bright, her cheeks burned.

"Aren't you well, sweetheart?" I asked. "You look feverish."

"Yes, dear, I'm well. But I don't want you to go to-night. Something
tells me you shouldn't. Please don't go, dear. Please, for my sake."

"Oh, nonsense, Berna! You know I've been away before. Get one of the
neighbour's wives to sleep with you. Get in Mrs. Brooks."

"Oh, don't go, don't go, I beg you, dear. I don't want you to. I'm
afraid, I'm afraid. Won't some one else do?"

"Nonsense, girl. You mustn't be so foolish. It's only for a few hours.
Here, I'll ring up Mrs. Brooks and you can ask her."

She sighed. "No, never mind. I'll ring her up after you've gone."

She clung to me tightly, so that I wondered what had got into the girl.
Then gently I kissed her, disengaged her hands, and bade her good-night.

As I was rattling off through the darkness, a boy handed me a note. I
put it in my pocket, thinking I would read it when I reached Ogilvie
Bridge. Then I whipped up the horse.

The night was crisp and exhilarating. I had one of the best trotters in
the country, and the sleighing was superb. As I sped along, with a
jingle of bells, my spirits rose. Things were looking splendid. The mine
was turning out far better than we had expected. Surely we could sell
out soon, and I would have all the money I wanted. Even then the
Prodigal was putting through a deal in New York that would realise our
fortunes. My life-struggle was nearly over.

Then again, I had reconciled Garry to Berna. When I told him of a
certain secret I was hugging to my breast he would capitulate entirely.
How happy we would all be! I would buy a small estate near home, and we
would settle down. But first we would spend a few years in travel. We
would see the whole world. What good times we would have, Berna and I!
Bless her! It had all worked out beautifully.

Why was she so frightened, so loath to let me go? I wondered vaguely and
flicked up the horse so that it plunged sharply forward. The vast
blue-black sky was like an inverted gold-pan and the stars were flake
colours adher