r old friends fight shy of us now. I invite 'em in, and
they come, but they don't stay--they don't seem comfortable. They are
all wall-eyed to see the place once, but they don't say 'hello' as they
used to. And the people next door here--well, they don't neighbor at
all. You and the Congdons are the only people, except a few of mother's
church folks, who even call. Now, what's the matter?"

He was now quite as serious as she. "I suppose your own folks feel that
your wealth is a barrier."

"Why should they? I treat 'em just the same as ever. I'm not the kind to
go back on my friends because I'm Marshall Haney's wife. If I'd earned
this money I might put on airs; but I haven't--I've just married into
it."

"How did you come to do it?" he asked, quickly--almost accusingly.

Her tone again faltered, and her eyes fell. "Well, it was like this:
Mother was sick and getting old, and I was kind o' tired and
discouraged, and the Captain was mighty nice and kind to us; and then
I--And so when the word came that he was hurt--and wanted me--I went."
Here she looked up at him. "And I did right, don't you think so?"

He was twisting a twig in his fingers. "Oh yes, certainly. You've been a
great comfort to him. You saved his life probably, and he really is a
fine man in spite of--" He broke off.

She took up his phrase. "In spite of his business. I know, that was
mother's main objection to him. But, you see, he cleaned all out of that
before I married him. He hasn't touched a card since."

He was almost apologetic. "I've been brought up to despise gamblers--I'm
a Quaker, you know, by family. But I like Captain Haney, and I can see
that from his point of view a 'straight game,' as he calls it, is not a
crime."

"Yes, that's one good thing in his favor--he never let a crooked deal
pass in his place. But, after all, I can't forget that he was a gambler,
and other people can't, and his record is dead against us here." Her
face was dark as she resumed. "I'm a gambler's wife. Ain't that so?
Didn't you hear of me in that way? Weren't you warned against us?"

His honest eyes quailed a little. "It is true your husband is called a
gambler rather than a miner."

"Well, he was. That's right, but he isn't now. I'm not complaining about
the part that can't be helped, but I want to do something to show we are
in line to-day, and so does the Captain. We want to make our money
count, and if you can tell us what to do we'll be mightily oblige