ich
winds in loops through the shade of overhanging trees. Wide views of
blue hills and shining river opened up through gaps in the foliage; the
air had lost its humid warmth and grew fresh and invigorating.

Reaching the level summit, they dismissed the hacks and found a seat
near the edge of a steep, wooded slope. The strip of tableland is not
remarkably picturesque, but it is thickly covered with trees, and one
can look out across a vast stretch of country traversed by the great
river. By and by the party scattered and Mrs. Keith was left with
Harding. They were, in many ways, strangely assorted companions, the
elderly English lady accustomed to the smoother side of life, and the
young American who had struggled hard from boyhood, but they were
sensible of a mutual lilting. Mrs. Keith had a trace of the grand
manner, which had its effect on Harding; he showed a naive frankness
she found attractive. Besides, his talk and conduct were marked by a
laboured correctness which amused and pleased her. She thought he had
taken some trouble to acquire it.

"So you had to leave your wife at home," she said presently. "Wasn't
that rather hard for both of you?"

"It was hard enough," he replied with feeling. "What made it worse was
that I hadn't many dollars to leave with her, but I had to go. The man
who will take no chances has to stay at the bottom."

"Then, if it's not an impertinence, your means are small?"

"Your interest is a compliment, ma'am, and what you say is true. We
had two hundred dollars when we were married. You wouldn't consider
that much to begin on."

"No," said Mrs. Keith, whose marriage settlement had made over to her
valuable property. "Still, of course, it depends upon what one
expects. After all; I think my poorest friends have been happiest."

"We had only one trouble; making the dollars go round," Harding told
her with grave confidence. "It was worst in the hot weather when other
people could move out of town, and it hurt me to see Marianna looking
white and tired. I used to wish I could send her to one of the
summer-boarders' farms up in the hills, though I guess she wouldn't
have gone without me. She's brave, and when my chance came she saw
that I must take it. She sent me off with smiles, but I knew what they
cost."

"She will smile more brightly when you come back, and courage to face a
hard task is a great gift. So you consider this trip to the North-West
your opportun