at Daly's
gone for good. Read him the night letter, Percival."

It is usual in Canada to allow lengthy telegrams, called night letters,
to be sent at a very moderate charge when the lines are disengaged
after business hours, and the treasurer picked up a form. The message
related the careful search for Daly's body, which had not been found.
The snow for some distance on both sides of the river was undisturbed;
there was no sign that an injured man had crawled away, and if this
were not enough, no stranger had reached any of the scattered ranches
where he must have gone for food. Daly would not be found until the
ice broke up.

"I expect you're glad the fellow can't be brought to trial," Hulton
remarked, looking hard at Foster.

"I am," said Foster quietly.

Hulton made a sign of understanding and there was faint amusement in
his eyes.

"Well, you have a good partner. I like Featherstone; he's a live,
straight man, and if he had trouble in England, has made good here.
But he has his limits; I reckon you'll go further than he will."

"No," said Foster. "I don't think you're right, but if you are, I'll
take my partner along with me, or stay behind with him."

"What are you going to do now?" Percival asked.

"Stop at the Crossing and see about starting the mill."

Hulton nodded. "I guess that's the best thing. When you have got her
started, come and see what we want. I think that's all in the
meantime."

Foster left them and began work next day. He wrote to Lawrence telling
him of his plans, but got no answer for a week, when a telegram arrived.

"Come out if you can leave the mill. You're wanted here," it ran.

Foster was puzzled, because he thought the summons would have come from
Lucy if Lawrence was ill. Yet the latter knew he was occupied and
ought not have sent for him unless he was needed. On the whole, he
felt annoyed. Lawrence, who was sometimes careless, should have told
him why he was required, and he could not conveniently leave the mill.

Since he had found his partner, he had realized how wide, in a social
sense, was the difference between Alice Featherstone and a small
Canadian lumber dealer, and had, with characteristic determination,
resolved to bridge the gap. This meant bold planning and strenuous
effort, but he shrank from neither and meant his partner to help.
Lawrence, although resolute enough when things went against them,
sometimes got slack when they were going well, an