e was
Alice Leigh, and she was a whole cut above the neighborhood. Jim said she
was an artist, could do wonderful things with a brush and she was just
wild to go somewhere and take lessons.

"Jim was planning always how to give her the opportunity to do it, but her
mother, who owned a lot of land for that country and could afford to send
Alice away to study, couldn't see any dollar sign in it, so she kept her
daughter on the farm."

Asher paused and looked at Virginia. His own happiness made his voice
tremble as he went on.

"He has a brother Tank. I suppose his real name is Thaddeus, or Tantalus,
or something like it; I never knew, and I never liked him well enough to
ask. Tank was a black-eyed little runt whom none of the boys liked, a
grasping cuss, younger than Jim, and as selfish as Jim is kind.

"Just before I came West to scout the Indians off the map, Jim came back
to school one time so unlike himself that I made him tell me what was the
matter. It was Tank, he said, who was making trouble for him up in the
Leigh neighborhood, and he was so grieved and unhappy, I wouldn't ask any
more about it. I left for the West soon after that. When I went back to
Cloverdale, Tank Shirley had married Alice Leigh and her mother's farm,
and Jim had left the country. I ran on to him by accident up at Carey's
Crossing when I came West again, but I've never heard him say a word about
the matter, and, of course, I don't mention it, although I believe it
would do Jim good if he could bring himself to tell me about it. He's
never been quite the same since. He has a little tendency to lung trouble,
which the plains air is taking out of him, but he's had a bad attack of
pneumonia, and it's an old enemy of his, as it always is to a man of his
physique. He's a good worker, but lacks judgment to make his work count.
Doesn't really seem to have much to work for. But he's a friend to the
last ditch. Just hear the rain!"

"It seems to be knocking against the door again," Virginia said, "and how
the wind does howl! Poor Jim!"

"Listen to that! Sounds like something loose against the window. There's
something out there." Asher started up with the words.

Something white had seemed to splash up against the window and drop back
again. It splashed up a second time, and fell again. Asher hurried to the
door, and as he opened it, Pilot, the big white-throated dog from the
Shirley claim, came bounding in, so wet and shaggy he seemed to bring