ast, hinted about it. My
sister thought that maybe--that maybe, now that your wife's big fortune
had gone off in an unexpected direction, that you was obliged to raise
money to make good some investments that you made while you was counting
on things remaining the same. We couldn't talk it over with Dixie,
because she'd get out of patience every time we'd bring it up."

"You are quite mistaken, Mrs. Hart," Henley said, his face aglow from a
new light on the situation. "I don't want to collect any money from
Dixie. She can keep it as long as she wants it. If she thinks I want
that money, she is away off from the facts. Is she about the house?"

"No, she ain't," Mrs. Hart fairly gasped in relief. "Her and Joe went
down to the creek to fish. They are at the first bend; you can see the
spot from the gate. So that was a mistake! Well, I certainly am glad. I
reckon she just imagined it. She's acted funny for the last week,
anyway--sometimes just as happy and jolly as you please, and then
bringing up this money question--sayin' that she couldn't bear to be in
debt, and the like. She said if she could just sell the farm for
anything near its worth she'd do it and pay all she owes."

"She could easily sell it," Henley said, "but she won't have to do it to
pay me. I'll go down there, I believe, and see if they are having any
luck."

He walked away slowly, for the burden of doubt as to his chances was
still on him. From the bend of the road he looked across the level
pasture and hay-land to the green line of willows and canebrake that
marked the course of the stream. At first he saw nothing but his grazing
horses and mules, some of Dixie's sheep and lambs, and then he descried
a purplish blur against the living green, and recognized it as the
girl's sunbonnet, the back part of which was turned toward him. Across
the uneven ground, his feet retarded by creeping earth-vines and furrows
where grain had grown and ripened, he strode, his doubt and awkwardness
increasing with every step.

She saw him as he was nearing the grass-covered bank upon which she sat,
an open book in her lap. It was quite clear to him that she, too, was
embarrassed, for a violent color rose in her cheeks, and her glance
deliberately avoided his. She called out quite distinctly and
irrelevantly to Joe, who sat on a log which jutted out into the stream,
telling him to be careful and not fall in. Henley saw the boy shrug his
shoulders and heard him laugh cont