g you away from
your guests--"

"You're one of them," she laughed.

"An unbidden one."

"But a very welcome one. Don't be silly."

Angus ate and drank, and the food and hot coffee warmed him through.

"And now," said Kathleen, "we'll join the festive throng."

But Angus balked. He was not dressed for such things. He preferred to
stay out in the kitchen.

"Angus Mackay, you make me tired!" Kathleen told him. "What do I care
about your clothes? You're still thinking of yourself as an unbidden
guest, after I've told you you're more than welcome. I'm not going to
let you sit out in the kitchen like an Indian. Come along, now, like a
good boy."

As there was no way out of it, Angus followed her, feeling very
conscious of his worn riding-clothes. But as everybody was playing cards
nobody cast more than a casual glance in his direction, save Faith
Winton, who rose and came toward them.

"Kathleen, I've driven my unfortunate partner nearly crazy. He's too
polite to tell me what he thinks of my play, but see how wistfully he's
looking at you."

Kathleen laughed.

"Well, take care of Angus, then. And keep his mind off his clothes. He's
worrying because he isn't dressed like a head waiter." With a nod she
left them and seated herself at the vacant table.

"They were relieved to get rid of me," Faith Winton laughed. "Shall we
sit down and talk? I haven't seen you for weeks. Why didn't you come to
see me once in awhile?"

"I wanted to, but somehow--"

"Never mind excuses. When I get a place of my own perhaps you will be
more neighborly. I've made up my mind to build a house on my ranch in
the spring."

She told him her plans. She would have a cottage built, buy a few head
of stock and some chickens, break a few acres as a start and set out
fruit trees. Between the rows she would grow small fruits, feed,
vegetables. When the trees came into bearing she would have an assured,
definite income.

Angus listened in grim silence. He had heard it all before from the
hopeful lips of new settlers. Theoretically, so many bushels may be
grown to the acre, a tree so many years old will bear so many boxes of
fruit. This is quite unassailable, proven by actual experience, by
incontestable data, set out in reports which are the gospel of the new
and especially the inexperienced settler. He seizes these facts avidly,
but overlooks or refuses to consider a number of other things, such as
drought, hail, frosts early or late, win