rangers, you
know," he finished.

"I don't know what to think," said the Girl.

"Never bother your head with thinking," advised the Harvester with an
air of large wisdom. "It is unprofitable and very tiring. Any one can
see that you are too weary now. Don't dream of such a foolish thing as
thinking. Don't worry over motives and obligations. Say to yourself,
'I'll enter this partnership and if it brings me anything good, I'm that
much ahead. If it fails, I have lost nothing.' That's the way to look at
it."

Then before she could answer he continued: "Now I want all the mullein
bloom I can get. You'll see the yellow heads everywhere. Strip the
petals and bring them here, and I'll come for them every day. They must
go on the trays as fresh as possible. On your part, we will make out the
order now."

He took a pencil and notebook from his pocket.

"You want drawing pencils and brushes; how many, what make and size?"

The Girl hesitated for a moment as if struggling to decide what to do;
then she named the articles.

"And paper?"

He wrote that down, and asked if there was more.

"I think," he said, "that I can get this order filled in Onabasha. The
art stores should keep these things. And shouldn't you have water-colour
paper and some paint?"

Then there was a flash across the white face.

"Oh if I only could!" she cried. "All my life I have been crazy for a
box of colour, but I never could afford it, and of course, I can't now.
But if this splendid plan works, and I can earn what I owe, then maybe I
can."

"Well this 'splendid plan' is going to 'work,' don't you bother about
that," said the Harvester. "It has begun working right now. Don't worry
a minute. After things have gone wrong for a certain length of time,
they always veer and go right a while as compensation. Don't think of
anything save that you are at the turning. Since it is all settled that
we are to be partners, would you name me the figures of the debt that
is worrying you? Don't, if you mind. I just thought perhaps we could get
along better if I knew. Is it----say five hundred dollars?"

"Oh dear no!" cried the Girl in a panic. "I never could face that! It is
not quite one hundred, and that seems big as a mountain to me."

"Forget it!" he cried. "The ginseng will pay more than half; that I
know. I can bring you the cash in a little over a week."

She started to speak, hesitated, and at last turned to him.

"Would you mind," she said, "if