often
thought about Langrigg, but I'd sooner the lawyers had left me alone."

"Why?"

"I've been happy in Canada. I've friends I trust, I'm making good, and
don't want to be disturbed."

Carrie gave him a quick glance, but he went on: "Then we meant to take
a holiday, and it looks as if I might be wanted in the Old Country."

"If you go, they may keep you."

"I feel I have got to go, although I don't like it," Jim replied with a
puzzled look. "Something pulls and I resist. However, come along.
We're going to the park."

They set off and Jim tried to talk. Carrie helped him and for a time
they laughed and joked, but the jokes got flat and all were rather
quiet when they went home. They felt a disturbing change was coming;
things would not be the same. Next morning Jim wrote to the lawyers,
who asked him to meet a member of the firm at Winnipeg. He grumbled
and hesitated, but went and did not return for some time. On the
evening after his arrival he and the others sat talking in a little
room behind the store.

The room was cheaply furnished. The rough black pipe from the basement
stove went up the middle and a threadbare rug covered half the floor.
Mrs. Winter, looking worn and faded, occupied a rocking-chair. She was
better dressed than when Jim first came to the house and he thought the
rather expensive material had been chosen with taste. The quiet woman
had a touch of dignity, although she wore the stamp of toil. Carrie,
sitting opposite, had been occupied in the store all day and had
refused to change her working clothes. Since Jim's return was
something of an event, Mrs. Winter was puzzled by her obstinacy.

"I'm glad to be back," Jim remarked. "Winnipeg is a fine city, but I
feel Vancouver's home."

Mrs. Winter smiled, but the look Carrie gave Jim was half ironical.

"You are glad to get back here? After stopping at a big hotel!"

"I am glad. The hotel was crowded and never quiet. They had noisy
electric elevators that went up and down all night, and it wasn't much
better when I dined at smart restaurants. Thought I'd find this
amusing, but I didn't. Had to push for a place at the tables and the
waiters were slow. I felt I wanted to hustle round with the plates."

"Sometimes you're rather clever, Jim," Carrie said, meaningly. "But I
expect you liked the cooking."

"It was tolerable, but no food I've got was half as good as the trout
and bannocks we picked out of the hot spider