the sake of months of future peace,
served an additional purpose as an advertisement. Farmers came from far
back in the mountains to see the inhuman weapon, and incidentally
brought along a calf or two to sell as an excuse for their waste of
time. Their denunciations sent more of the curious, who were not
deterred by motives of tenderness from submitting their creatures to
the operation, provided they received a good price.

When Hilda had discovered her brother-in-law's straitened circumstances
she had offered to him a part of her income, deploring his evident
poverty with real distress of voice and manner.

"I don't understand why it is so,--you are not extravagant, like
Max,--but I can see the fact plainly enough, and I beg you to take it,
dear Friedrich."

Friedrich kissed her hand in gratitude, but refused, explaining that he
had enough capital for the undertaking of his business venture, and
that his personal wants were of the simplest.

"But your house, Friedrich. It is not fitting that a von Rittenheim
should live in a cabin like that."

[Illustration: "It is not fitting that a von rittenheim should live in
a cabin like that"]

"Man makes the house, Hilda, and I don't feel that my dignity is hurt.
I am comfortable, and that is all that is necessary."

He happened to think of this conversation as he drank the last of his
coffee, and he realized that Hilda's offer was another of the tiny
threads that linked him to her. He thought how true it was now that, so
long as he could make his living out of his new business, he cared
nothing for the roof that sheltered him; while on that golden night of
happiness when Sydney and he had watched the river flow under the
bridge, he had been glad of his new prosperity because he could build
for _her_ a house such as she should fancy.

He did not allow himself to think often of Sydney. He was glad that he
had had the strength to refrain from asking her to be his wife until he
had something more substantial than his name to offer her. It relieved
somewhat the present situation. Yet her avoidance of him he could
construe only as contempt for a man who had played with her while bound
by other ties. Sometimes he felt that he must explain to her how
intangible were those bonds. Yet he was sufficiently conscious of their
actual existence to feel that the difficulties of explanation were
almost insurmountable. And Hilda, poor child, took his devotion
entirely for granted.