Lady Merton, Colonist

from Laggan. When it came, he recognised Anderson's handwriting on one of the envelopes put into his hand. Elizabeth, having kept him co

as fo

you, he appears still to wish to preserve the assumed name and identity that he set up shortly after leaving Manitoba, seventeen years ago. As far as I am concerned, I am inclined to indulge him. But you will, of course, take your own line, and will no doubt communicate it to me. I do not imagine that my private affairs or my father's can be of any interest to you, but perhaps I may say that he is at present for a few days in the doctor's hands and that I propose as soon as his health is re-established to arrange for

faith

E ANDE

lf and Anderson. He recalled the repulsive old man, his uneducated speech, the signs about him of low cunning and drunken living, his rambling embittered charges against his son, who, according to him, had turned his father out of the Manitoba farm in consequence of a family quarrel, and

rson yourself if you have any claim to make." Whereupon a half-sly, half-threatening hint from the old fellow that he

had been immediately ready to promi

dy Merton and her brother, managing for them, laying them under obligations, and all the time, unknown to Elizabeth, with this drunken old scamp of a father

rgive me--if I were to allow Lady Merton to run any risk of some sordid scandal which might get into the papers. Of course this young man ought to take himself off! If he had any proper feel

to Elizabeth, in a strange country, which she could have ill done without. Philip's unlucky tumble had been, certainly, dou

lanimous waiting on Providence. Who knew what mad view Elizabeth might take of the whole thing, in this overstrained sentimental m

uitless. He magnanimously resolved that Lady Merton should not be blamed if he could help it, by anyone except himself. And he had no intention at all of playing the rejected lover. The proud, well-born, fastidious Englishman stiffened as he walked. It was wounding to his self-love to stay where he was; since it was quite plain that

ed neither himself nor her. She had resented them, and it was most unlikely that she would ask him for any further explana

Laggan for supplies at midday

w of my fellow-travellers. Lady Merton must not be distressed or molested. So long, however, as this is secured, I shall not feel myself at liberty to reveal a private matter which has accid

ubt aware that the hotel makes what are apparently very excellent and complete arrangements for such things. I am sure Lady Merton w

faith

ANDEVILLE

at the back of the Ginnells' house. He perfectly understood that Delaine's letter was meant to warn him not to be too officious in Lady Merton's service. "Don

A hot impulse swept through him to tell her everything, to have done with secrecy. But he stifled it. What right had he to intrude his personal history upon her?--least of all this ugly and unsavoury development of it? Pride spoke again, and self-respect. If it humiliated him to fee

head to shield her from a blazing su

d, sir!" Her

" Anderson turne

r, sir. He won't let yer res

ring the past hour to make her patient clean and comfortable, and to tidy his room; but had been at l

you?" Anderson inquir

do! I've told that woman to get me my things, and help me into the other room

rders you were to

e had no time to be lolling in bed like a fine

n quietly, "which will either kill you or detain you here for weeks. You say you want to talk business with me.

hed beside him on the wagon which in summer drove them, every other Sunday, to a meeting-house fifteen miles away. He could see his mother at the back of the wagon with the little girls, her grey alpaca dress and cotton gloves, her patient look. His throat swelled. Nor was the pang of intolerable pity for his mother only. Deep in the melancholy of his nature and strengthened by that hateful tie of blood fr

a question of an old silver mine on a mountainside in Idaho, deserted some ten years before when the river gravels had been exhausted, and now to be reopened, like many others in the same neigh

ate at an enormous profit, should his "pardners" and he not care to develop it themselves. If George would find

--close, technical questions. His father's eyes--till then eager and greed

a mining engineer?" he said at la

on City," was the slow reply. "I suppos

or! I'd had my training at Montreal.

derson, in the end, could get at neither the one nor the other. And before many more minutes had passed he had convinced himself that he was wasting his time. That there was some swindling

uch was it?" Anderson asked him sudden

to Anderson purposeless; the mere shifting and doubling that comes of long years of dishonest living. And ag

k," he said at last. "If it's a good thin

ere?" asked M

urse. I might spare

My pardners wouldn't thank m

out knowing a bit more about the property, could you?--

ggedly--"because I'm your father and I give you my word. And if no

was silen

raised h

all square?" The

cel of English swells. I'm a poor old broken-down miner, who wants to hole-up somewhere, and get comfortable for his old age; and if you had a heart in your body, you'd lend a helping hand. When I saw you at Winnipeg"--the tone became a

you give up this kind of life, and settle down. I'm ready to give you an allowance, and look after you. Your health is bad. To s

d and shoulders were in a full mellowed light; he held himself with an unconscious energy, answering to a certain force of feeling within; a proud strength and sincerity expressed itself through every detail of attitude and gesture; yet perhaps the delicacy, or rather sensibility, mingling with the pride, would have been no less evident to a s

oposal. He said sulkily: "Oh, I dessay you'd l

that Anderson developed, puffing the while at

agin me--and fellows as 'ud do me a bad turn if they come across me--dudes, as I used to know in Daw

colony near Los Angeles? Anderson knew the chief officials--capital men, with no cant about them. Fruit farmin

the end even professed to think there might be something in it. As to his own scheme, he dropped all mention of

n?" muttered McEwen--"Thought you wa

ooking after you," said Anderson rising. "You let Mrs.

his gentleman's refinement; and the shaggy wh

me off like that fo

n turne

up the past.

my other so

derson gave the details of th

ther, I'll be bound!" said McEwen, a

was your own doing;

e home for!--and all for an accident!--a

n louder. He stared sombrely

and into his pocket and withdrew from it a large pocket-book. Out of the pocket-book he took a delicatel

got there?"

lour. As he reached his father, he touched a spring, an

of a young woman in the mi

innipeg for the first agricultural show?" he said hoarsely. "I had a copy--that wasn't burnt.

woman, the bunch of children. Then with a brusque movem

ed to be trying to force its way. But he could not find words; and at last he return

d relit his pipe, shaking off the impression left by the miniature as quickly as possible.

t of this close-fisted Puritanical son of his. Survey indeed! McEwen found himself shaken by a ki

osal half amused, half infuriated him. He knew all about their colonies. Trust him! Your own master for seventeen years--mixed up in a lot of jobs it wouldn't do to go bla

quivering with eagerness. The passage described the "hold up" of a Northern Pacific train, at a point between Seattle and the Canadian border. By the help of masks, and a few sticks of dynamite, the thing had been very smartly done--a whole train terrorised, the mail van broken open and a large "swag" captured. Bill

eaps of money going backwards and forwards over the railway! All these thousands of dollars paid out in wages week by week to these construction camps--must come from somewhere in

him, which the torn blind did not cover. Outside, through the clearing with its stumps of jack-pine,

an side, and walking in single file along the path. Navvies apparently--carrying bundles and picks. The

cups out of their pockets stooped down to the stream. The old man in the cabin bed watched them with fierce intentness; and

ted his call--this time with a different inflection. The men exchanged a few hurried words. Carefully scrutinising the house, they noticed a new

his train. For twenty minutes, the man outside leant against the window-sash apparently lounging and smoking. Noth