usement specialty--or
_anything_--that you knew was better than what you're doing--wouldn't
you have a right to try it?"

"Of course I should--but what has that to do with this case?"

"Why it's the same thing! Don't you see? I have plans that will be of
real benefit to all of us, something worth while to _do_--and not only
for us but for _everybody_--a real piece of progress--and I'm going
to leave my people--and even you!--for a little while--to make us all
happier later on."

He smiled lovingly at her but shook his head slowly. "You dear, brave,
foolish child!" he said. "I don't for one moment doubt your noble
purposes. But you don't get the man's point of view--naturally. What's
more you don't seem to get the woman's."

"Can you see no other point of view than those?" she asked.

"There are no others," he answered. "Come! come! my darling, don't add
this new difficulty to what we've got to carry! I know you have a hard
time of it at home. Some day, please God, you shall have an easier
one! And I'm having a hard time too--I don't deny it. But you are the
greatest joy and comfort I have, dear--you know that. If you go away--it
will be harder and slower and longer--that's all. I shall have you to
worry about too. Let somebody else do the gold-mine, dear--you stay here
and comfort your Mother as long as you can--and me. How can I get along
without you?"

He tried to put his arm around her again, but she drew back. "Dear,"
she said. "If I deliberately do what I think is right--against your
wishes--what will you do?"

"Do?" The laughed bitterly. "What can I do? I'm tied by the leg here--I
can't go after you. I've nothing to pull you out of a scrape with if you
get in one. I couldn't do anything but--stand it."

"And if I go ahead, and do what you don't like--and make
you--suffer--would you--would you rather be free?" Her voice was very
low and shaken, but he heard her well enough.

"Free of you? Free of _you_?" He caught her and held her and kissed her
over and over.

"You are mine!" he said. "You have given yourself to me! You cannot
leave me. Neither of us is free--ever again." But she struggled away
from him.

"Both of us are free--to do what we think right, _always_ Ross! I
wouldn't try to stop you if you thought it was your duty to go to the
North Pole!" She held him a little way off. "Let me tell you, dear. Sit
down--let me tell you all about it." But he wouldn't sit down.

"I don't think I want to k