Keller. The old man will probably retire soon and Bob will get the
business."

"But why should the proprietor give the business to Bob?"

"He's Sadie's father," Festing answered with some surprise.

"But who is Sadie?"

Festing looked up sharply and saw that Helen was puzzled and suspicious.
Her eyes were harder and her mouth was set.

"Ah!" he said. "Don't you know?"

A wave of color flushed Helen's face, but her voice was level. "I don't
know! It looks as if Bob had not told me the most important thing. Do
you mean that he is going to marry Miss Keller?"

Festing felt pitiful. He saw that she had got a shock, but she bore it
pluckily, and he tried to conquer his indignant rage. Charnock had let
him believe he had told her; he ought to have realized that the fellow
could not act straight.

"I thought you knew," he stammered.

"That's obvious," Helen replied with an effort for calm. "But tell me
something about Miss Keller."

"Sadie runs the hotel and helps at the store. She's rather pretty and
intelligent. In fact, she's generally capable and a good manager."

"You seem to know her well since you call her Sadie."

"Oh," said Festing, "everybody calls her Sadie!"

"You mean in the bar and poolroom? I understand the latter's a public
billiard-saloon!"

Festing felt that he must do Sadie justice. She had her virtues, and
although he was very angry with Charnock he did not want Helen to think
the fellow had given her up for a worthless rival. Still he was not sure
if his putting the girl in a favorable light would soften the blow or
not.

"To begin with, they don't employ women in a Canadian bar. Then Sadie's
quite a good sort and understands Bob--perhaps better than an English
girl could. She was brought up on the plains and knows all about the
life we lead."

"You imply that she is not fastidious, and will be lenient to her
husband's faults? That she will bring him down to her level?"

"Well," said Festing, who thought Helen did not know Charnock's
dissipated habits, "I imagine she'll keep him there, and that's
something. I mean she won't let him sink below her level; Sadie's shrewd
and determined. Then marriage is a problem to men like Bob farming the
plains. Girls of the type they have been used to and would naturally
choose couldn't stand the hardships."

"So they are satisfied with a lower type? With any girl who pleases
their eye?"

"I don't think that's quite fair," Festing objected. "Besid