ranch?" she said.

Alton smiled a little. "I'm getting kind of afraid of you," he said.
"One of them was."

Alice Deringham laughed prettily, and was inwardly contented. She had
been used to influence and admiration, but there was a subtle pleasure
in being the recipient of this man's homage, while she surmised that
had he not offered her all of it he would not have made the admission
concerning Townshead.

"Your recent neighbour is not doing well down there?" she said. "I am
sorry for Miss Townshead."

Alton nodded, and his face was sombre as well as pitiful, "It's very
rough on a girl of that kind, and she's true grit right through," he
said. "I'm thankful you don't know what some women who have to earn
their living doing what used to be men's work in the cities have to put
up with."

"Still," said Alice Deringham, "I can guess. Miss Townshead was
working at something uncongenial for a livelihood, and was not
especially cordial to you?"

Alton looked at her gravely. "No," he said. "She hadn't even found
that something yet, and she was very kind. That's what made me feel it
worse."

"Of course she would not have shown you what she thought," said the
girl a trifle dryly. "And you were not responsible in any case."

Alton glanced at her with some bewilderment. "No?" he said. "I'm
sitting here with all that a man could wish for, while that girl, who
was used to all the good things you have in the old country, walks
round and round the city looking for something she can earn a few
dollars at, when I might have fixed things differently if it hadn't
been for Tom. It's hard to feel there's a meaner man than I am in the
Dominion."

Miss Deringham saw the veins rise on his forehead and the glint in his
eyes, and shivered a little as she hoped the man would never discover
it was not the rancher who had brought the shame upon him.

"Would it have been possible for you to do anything to help them if you
had reached the ranch in time?" she said.

"Yes," said Alton simply, "I think it would. And it would have been
better for everybody in the district."

Though the girl did not altogether understand him, his very quietness
was impressive, for she knew by this time that what he stated was
usually rather more than less the fact.

"Well," she said lightly, "it was not your fault, and you will forget
it presently."

Alton smiled wryly. "I don't know," he said. "There are some kinds of
stains that don't