warmth of light was mellow, and left sufficient shadow in the
remoter corners to rob the scene of any garishness. The stove was
roaring under its opened damper. The air smelt warm and good, and the
pungent odor of hot coffee was not without pleasure to the hungry man.

Mrs. Mowbray and Jessie retained their seats at the amply filled table.
But Alec rose from his and departed without a word, or even a glance in
Murray's smiling direction. The rudeness, the petulance of his action!
These things left his mother and sister in suspense.

But Murray took charge of the situation with a promptness and ease that
cleared what looked like the further gathering of storm-clouds.

"Say, ma'am," he cried at once, "I just deserve all you feel like
saying, but don't say, anyway. Late? Why, I guess I'm nearly an hour
late. But I got hung up with some freight coming in just as I was
quitting. I'm real sorry. Maybe Jessie here's going to hand me some
words. That so, Jessie?"

His smiling eyes sought the girl's with kindly good nature. But Jessie
did not respond. Her eyes were serious, and her mother came to her
rescue.

"That doesn't matter a thing, Murray," she said, in her straightforward
fashion, as she poured out the man's coffee, while he took his seat
opposite Jessie. Then she glanced at the door through which Alec had
taken himself off. "But what's this with Alec? You've had words.
He's been telling us, and he seems mad about things, and--you. What's
the matter with the boy? What's the matter between you, anyway?"

The man shrugged helplessly. Nor would his face mold itself into a
display of seriousness to match the two pairs of beautiful eyes
regarding him.

"Why, I guess we had a few words," he said easily. "Maybe I was hasty.
Maybe he was. It don't figure anyway. And, seeing it's not Alec's way
to lie about things, I don't suppose there's need for me to tell you
the story of it. Y'see, ma'am, I ought to remember Alec's just a boy
full of high spirits, and that sort of thing, but, in the rush of work,
why, it isn't always easy. After supper I figger to get a yarn with
him and fix things up."

Then he laughed with such a ring of genuineness that Jessie found
herself responding to it, and even her mother's eyes smiled.

"I'm not easy when I'm on the jump. I guess nobody is, not even Alec."
Murray turned to Jessie. "It's queer folks act the way they do. Ever
see two cats play? They're the best of