n
lucky,--luckier than most men. He has not had a single set-back. He
has been what they call a success. He is younger than I am by a year
or two, and he owns tugs and superintends camps, while I,--well, I am
just starting in. But he has got to putting down all this progress to
his own superior ability absolutely. He does not think that, maybe,
circumstances have been kind to him."

Rita looked guardedly at me.

"Don't misunderstand me,--I'm not saying that he has not been clever
and has not grasped every opportunity that came his way, worked hard
and all that;--Oh! you know what I mean. But he has got to thinking
that Joe Clark is everything and no one else is anything. It is bad
for any man when he gets that way. Give Joe Clark a set-back or two
and he will come out a bigger and a better man.

"He is glutted and bloated with too much of his own way,--that's his
trouble."

Rita sighed.

"I guess you're right,--Joe used to be good friends with me. When we
were kids, Joe said he was going to marry me when he got big. He don't
say that any more though. Guess he's got too big. Tells me all about
the fine ladies he meets in Vancouver and Victoria and up the coast.
Wouldn't ever give me a chance, though, to get to know how to talk
good, and all that. Oh!--I know I ain't good at grammar. I wanted to
be. Joe said schooling just spoiled girls, and I was best at home.
Still, he talks about the ones that has the schooling.

"He started in telling me about his lady friends again, to-day. I
didn't want to know about them, so I just told him. I was mad,
anyway;--about him and you, I guess. He was mad, too. Said I was
fresh. Grand-dad took your part against Joe. Said he liked you
anyway. Then he took my part. He knows Joe,--you bet.

"He says, 'That'll do, Joe. You leave Rita be. She's a good lass and
you ain't playin' the game fair.'

"I didn't hear any more, for I ran out. Didn't go back either, till
Joe cleared out."

"What relation is Joe to the others, Rita?" I asked in puzzlement.

"Joe's an orphan, same as me. His dad was grand-dad's only son, who
got killed in a blasting accident up the coast. Joe's mother was a
Swede. She died two months after Joe was born. Since Joe got moving
for himself, he don't stay around home very much. Sleeps mostly at the
Camps or on the tugs. Says grandmother and grand-dad make him tired;
says they're silly fools,--because,--because,----"

Tears gather