g
with the family coal-chute. As the heavy wagon moved straight to its
objective Mr. Duncan looked on with approval that heightened into
admiration. Dave shovelled his load without remark, but as he stood
for a moment at the finish wiping the sweat from his coal-grimed face
Mr. Duncan engaged him in conversation.

"You handle a team like you were born to it," he said. "Where did you
get the knack?"

"Well, I came up on a ranch," said Dave. "I've lived with horses ever
since I could remember."

"You're a rancher, eh?" queried the older man. "Well, there's nothing
like the range and the open country. If I could handle horses like you
there isn't anything would hold me in town.

"Oh, I don' know," Dave answered. "You get mighty sick of it."

"Did you get sick of it?"

Elden shot a keen glance at him. The conversation was becoming
personal. Yet there was in Mr. Duncan's manner a certain kindliness, a
certain appeal of sincere personality, that disarmed suspicion.

"Yes, I got sick of it," he said. "I lived on that ranch eighteen
years, and never was inside school or church. Wouldn't that make you
sick? . . . So I beat it for town."

"And I suppose you are attending church regularly now, and night
school, too?"

Dave's quick temper fired up in resentment, but again the kindliness of
the man's manner disarmed him. He was silent for a moment, and then he
said, "No, I ain't. That's what makes me sick now. I came in here
intendin' to get an education, an' I've never even got a start at it,
excep' for some things perhaps wasn't worth the money. There always
seems to be somethin' else--in ahead."

"There always will be," said Mr. Duncan, "until you start."

"I suppose so," said Dave, wearily, and took up the reins.

But Mr. Duncan persisted. "You're not in such a hurry with that team,"
he said. "Even if you are late--even if you should lose your job over
it--that's nothing to settling this matter of getting started with an
education."

"But how's it to be done?" Dave questioned, with returning interest.
"Schools an' books cost money, an' I never save a dollar."

"And never will," said Mr. Duncan, "until you start. But I think I see
a plan that might help, and if it appeals to you it will also be a
great convenience to me. My wife likes to go driving Sundays, and
sometimes on weekday evenings, but I have so many things on hand I find
it hard to get out with her. My daughter used to drive, but