an or woman, either, who gives up all his chance in
life to somebody else is bound to come out with the small end of the
stick. It sounds fine, but it don't pay." Allister spoke with the
assurance of the successful man of business. "There's a certain amount
of looking out for Number One that's necessary in this pleasant world."

Christina was silent. Her heart told her he must be wrong, but she
could not have argued the matter if she would. It did not seem
possible that John's life of self-sacrifice and devotion had been a
mistake. Something that Neil was always quoting was running through
her head, "There is no gain except by loss." She could not recall it
fully, but she remembered distinctly another quotation, "Whosoever will
lose his life for my sake, shall find it."

"Well, we're all getting on in the world all right," cried Allister
heartily. "I tell you, our family's doing fine. And if I make my pile
as I hope to, we'll all do better. I'd like to be able to give Neil
and Sandy a lift, but Sandy's ready to go next Fall to the University
anyway. And it'll be a good while before Jimmie's ready."

"Ellen and Bruce will be married some time next Fall, I expect," said
Christina, going over the members of the family in her mind.

"I hate to think of her as a farmer's wife," said Allister. "If I had
her out West I'd do better than that for her, but I suppose I might as
well tell her I wanted to cut her head off."

"I should think so!" laughed Christina; "it's a dreadful thing to be in
love."

"Look as if Mary wouldn't be teaching school long either, eh?
Mother'll soon be without a girl if they all keep going off like that.
What about the one they call Christina?"

"Goody! We've come to Christina at last! Let's settle her case.
Christina will stay at home and milk the cows and feed the pigs and
bake and scrub and take the eggs and butter to Algonquin on Saturdays.
She will be the old maid sister with the horny hands, who always bakes
the pies and cakes for Christmas when the family come home!"

Allister threw back his head and laughed into the coloured heavens till
the echoes came back sharply from the whippoorwill's sanctuary on the
hillside.

"Never!" he cried heroically, waving the long stick with which he had
driven the cows up the lane. "Never! Let me die before I see the day!
No, _siree_! Christina will go to the University and take all the gold
medals, or whatever truck it is they get ther