of her fastidiousness, she was endued with most of the characteristics
of flesh and blood.

"You must have a good deal to look after alone," she said.

"Oh yes," said Wyllard; "I'm making my biggest effort this year. We've
sown at least a third more than I've ever done before, and I've bought
a big bunch of horses, too. If all goes satisfactorily we should reap
a record harvest, but in the meanwhile the thing's rather a pull. One
can't let up a minute; there's always something to be done, and a
constant need for supervision."

"Suppose you neglected the latter?"

Wyllard smiled. "Then I'm 'most afraid there'd be the biggest kind of
smash."

After that they talked of other matters of no great consequence, for
both of them were conscious of the necessity for a certain reticence;
and when they reached the homestead Agatha joined Mrs. Hastings, while
Wyllard pitched the hay off the waggon. He, however, came in to supper
presently with about half of the others, and they all sat down together
in the long, barely furnished room. Wyllard seemed unusually animated,
and drew Mrs. Hastings into a bout of whimsical badinage, but he looked
up sharply when, by and bye, a beat of hoofs rose from the prairie.

"Somebody's riding in; I wonder what he wants?" he said. "I certainly
don't expect anybody."

The drumming of hoofs rang more sharply through the open windows, for
the sod was hard and dry. Then it broke off, and Agatha saw Wyllard
start as a man came into the room. He was a little, thick-set man with
a weather-darkened face, dressed in rather old blue serge, and he
looked and walked like a seaman. In another moment or two he stood
still, looking about him, and Wyllard's lips set tight. A little
thrill of disconcertion ran through Agatha, for she felt she knew what
this stranger's errand must be.

Then Wyllard rose, and walked towards the man with outstretched hand.

"Sit right down and get some supper. You'll want it if you have ridden
in from the railroad," he said. "We'll talk afterwards."

The stranger nodded. "I'm from Vancouver," he said; "had quite a lot
of trouble tracing you."

He sat down, and Wyllard, who sent a man out to take his horse, went
back to his seat, but he was rather silent during the rest of the meal.
When it was over he asked Mrs. Hastings to excuse him, and leading the
stranger into a smaller room pulled out two chairs and laid a cigar box
on the table.

"Now you can get ah