was only
the vile man that the prospect could please, eh!

"You notice the house has been cleaned from top to toe. I had that
done last week. I see to that every time I come west."

He put his hand on my shoulder. "George, boy,--no one but myself and
Eileen has slept under this roof since my wife died, but I want you to
make it your home."

I turned to remonstrate.

"Now,--don't say a word," he hurried on. "You can't bluff me with your
self-defamatory remarks. You are not a Jake Meaghan, or one of his
stamp. You are of the kind that appreciates a home like this to the
extent of taking care of it.

"Come and have a look at the other apartments.

"This is the kitchen. It has a pantry and a good cooking-stove. There
are four bedrooms in the house. This can be yours;--it's the one I
used to occupy. This is a spare one. This is Eileen's. You won't
require it; and one never knows when Eileen might take it into her head
to come up here and live.

"This is my Helen's room,--my wife's. It has not been changed since
she died."

He went in. I remained respectfully in the adjoining apartment. I
waited for five minutes.

When he returned, there were tears in his eyes. He locked the door
with a sigh.

"George,--here are the keys to the whole she-bang. There isn't much
more to keep me here. You have signed the necessary papers in
connection with the trust account for $5,000 in the Commercial Bank of
Canada in Vancouver. Draw your wages regularly. Pay Jake his fifty a
month at the same time. We find his grub for him.

"Run things at a profit if you can, for that's business. Stand
strictly to the instructions I have given you regarding orders for
supplies from the various camps and from the cannery. Use your own
judgment as to credit with the settlers. I leave you a free hand up
here.

"Send your monthly reports, addressed to me care of my lawyers, Dow,
Cross & Sneddon of Vancouver. They will forward them.

"If any question should arise regarding the property itself, get in
touch with the lawyers."

I walked with him down to the launch as he talked.

"Thanks to you, George,--I'll get to Vancouver in the small hours of
the morning and I will be able to pull out for Sydney in the afternoon
of to-morrow.

"Good-bye, boy. All being well, I'll be back within a year."

In parting with him, as he shook me by the hand, I experienced a
tightening in my throat such as I had never felt when partin