aterial prosperity that was the symbol of that spiritual
regeneration which had become so dear to him.

He put his head down on his clasped hands upon the desk then and prayed.
Perhaps it was the first great prayer of his life.

"O God, let me be strong enough to stand this that has come upon me.
Help me to be a man in spite of money! Don't let me lose my manhood and
my right to work. Help me to use the money in the right way and not to
dwarf myself, nor spoil our lives with it." It was a great prayer for a
man such as Gardley had been, and the answer came swiftly in his
conviction.

He lifted up his head with purpose in his expression, and, folding the
telegram, put it safely back into his pocket. He would not tell Margaret
of it--not just yet. He would think it out--just the right way--and he
did not believe he meant to give up his position with Rogers. He had
accepted it for a year in good faith, and it was his business to fulfil
the contract. Meantime, this money would perhaps make possible his
marriage with Margaret sooner than he had hoped.

Five minutes later Rogers telephoned to the office.

"I've decided to take that shipment of cattle and try that new stock,
provided you will go out and look at them and see that everything is
all O. K. I couldn't go myself now. Don't feel like going anywhere, you
know. You wouldn't need to go for a couple of weeks. I've just had a
letter from the man, and he says he won't be ready sooner. Say, why
don't you and Miss Earle get married and make this a wedding-trip? She
could go to the Pacific coast with you. It would be a nice trip. Then I
could spare you for a month or six weeks when you got back if you wanted
to take her East for a little visit."

Why not? Gardley stumbled out his thanks and hung up the receiver, his
face full of the light of a great joy. How were the blessings pouring
down upon his head these days? Was it a sign that God was pleased with
his action in making good what he could where he had failed? And Rogers!
How kind he was! Poor Rogers, with his broken heart and his stricken
home! For Rosa had come home again a sadder, wiser child; and her father
seemed crushed with the disgrace of it all.

Gardley went to Margaret that very afternoon. He told her only that he
had had some money left him by his uncle, which would make it possible
for him to marry at once and keep her comfortably now. He was to be sent
to California on a business trip. Would she be ma