ing his wife
out."

"Do you know her? Who is she?"

"Yes; I know her very well. She's Helen Dalton."

"The girl you ought to have married!" Sadie exclaimed. "What's she like?
I guess you have her picture, though you haven't shown it me."

"I had one, but haven't now. I meant to burn the thing, but suspect that
Festing stole it. Confound him!"

Sadie was silent for a few moments and then gave Charnock a searching
look. "Anyhow, I don't see why that should make you mad. You let her go
and took me instead. Do you reckon she'd have been as patient with you
as I am?"

"No," said Charnock, rather drearily. "Helen isn't patient, and I dare
say I'd have broken her heart. You have done your best for me, and
I expect you find it a hopeless job. For all that, I never thought
Festing----"

"It's done with," Sadie rejoined quietly, although there was some color
in her face. "If the girl likes Festing, what has it to do with you?
Besides, as he has located some way back from the settlement, there's
no reason you should meet him or his wife." Then she frowned and got up.
"But the place is very cold; we'll go home."

Charnock put out the light and locked the door, but he was silent as
they walked across the snow to the hotel, and Sadie wondered what he
thought. There was no doubt he was disturbed, or he would have tried to
coax her into abandoning her resolution to put him on an allowance. She
meant to be firm about this.

For the next two or three weeks Charnock occupied himself with his
duties and everything went smoothly at the store and hotel. He was
popular in the neighborhood, since his weaknesses were rather attractive
than repellent to people who did not suffer from them. Men who drove
long distances from their lonely farms liked a cheerful talk and to hear
the latest joke; others enjoyed a game of cards in the back office when
Mrs. Charnock was not about. Besides, it was known that Keller's was
straight; one got full weight and value when one dealt there.

Trade, moreover, was unusually good. Settlers looking for land filled
the hotel, and now elevators were to be built, farmers hired extra
labor and broke new soil. Household supplies were purchased on an
unprecedented scale, and when snow melted the hotel stables were
occupied by rough-coated teams, while wagons, foul with the mud of the
prairie trails, waited for their loads in front of the store. Sadie felt
cheered and encouraged, and although Bob sometimes spe