e child until he came back. Crouching
upon the saddle, he clasped one arm about her while he twisted his other
hand firmly in and out of the horse's mane.

"Are you afraid, Nansie?"

She twined her arms more tightly about his neck until the sunny curls
brushed his cheek.

"Me'll do anywhere, wiv 'oo, Don."

Just as the gallant horse reached the opposite bank Reginald galloped
down to the ford on his way home for Sunday.

"Upon my word, John, you're a perfect slave to that youngster! What mad
thing will you be doing next, I wonder?"

"The next thing will be to go back again," said John with a smile, while
Nan clung fast to his neck and peeped shyly through her curls at her
brother.

"Where are you off to?"

"Henderson's."

Reginald turned his horse's head. "I might as well go along. A man's a
fool to ride alone when he can have company."

John gave him a swift, comprehensive glance.

"How are things going, Rege? You're not looking very fit."

Reginald yawned and drew his hand across his heavy eyes. "Oh, all right.
Oyster suppers and that sort of thing are apt to make a fellow drowsy."

"Don't go too fast, Rege."

"Why not?" said Reginald carelessly. "It suits the governor, and that
book you're so fond of says children should obey their parents."

* * * * *

"I declare, John, you're a regular algebraic puzzle!" he exclaimed later
in the day, as he stood beside John in the carpenter's shop, watching
the curling strips of wood which his plane was tossing off with sweeping
strokes. "You put all there is of you into everything you do. You take
as much pains over a plough handle as you would over a buggy!"

"Why not? God takes as much pains with a humming-bird as an elephant.
Mere size doesn't count."

"Nan loves you, Reggie," and a tiny hand was slipped shyly into her
brother's.

"All right, Magpie," he said carelessly. "You had better run home now to
mother. Your chatter makes my head ache."

The laughing lips quivered and the child turned away from him to John
and hid her face against his knee. He lifted her up on the bench beside
him and gave her a handful of shavings to play with.

"I don't see how you accomplish anything with that child everlastingly
under your feet!" Reginald continued, "yet you do two men's work and
seem to love it into the bargain. I'm sure if I had to cooper up all the
things on the farm as you do, I should loathe the very sight of tools."