husband? My, but it's a great journey for a boy to take."

"Nothing to what I've done in my time," replied Hervey. "Besides,
mother, I've got further to go yet. And as for sister Prudence's
marriage, I'm afraid I can't stay for that."

"Not stay?" exclaimed his mother.

"Do you mean it?" asked his sister incredulously.

Sarah Gurridge contented herself with looking her dismay.

"You see, it's like this," said Hervey. He had an uncomfortable habit
of keeping his eyes fixed upon the table, only just permitting himself
occasional swift upward glances over the other folk's heads. "When I
got your letter, Prudence, I was just preparing to come up from Los
Mares to go and see a big fruit-grower at Niagara. The truth is that
my fruit farm is a failure and I am trying to sell it."

"My poor boy!" exclaimed his mother; "and you never told me. But
there, you were always as proud as proud, and never would let me help
you. Your poor father was just the same; when things went wrong he
wouldn't own up to any one. I remember how we lost sixty acres of
forty-bushel, No. 1 wheat with an August frost. I never learned it
till we'd taken in the finest crop in the district at the next
harvesting. But you didn't put all your savings into fruit?"

"I'm afraid I did, mother, worse luck."

"All you made up at the Yukon goldfields?" asked Prudence, alarm in
her voice.

"Every cent."

There followed a dead silence.

"Then----" Mrs. Malling could get no further.

"I'm broke--dead broke. And I'm going East to sell my land to pay off
my debts. I've had an offer for it, and I'm going to clinch the deal
quick. Say, I just came along here to see you, and I'm going on at
once. I only got into Winnipeg yesterday. I rode out without delay,
but struck the Ainsley trail, or I should have been here sooner. Now,
see here, mother," Hervey went on, as a woe-begone expression closely
verging on tears came into the old dame's eyes, "it's no use crying
over this business. What's done is done. I'm going to get clear of my
farm first, and maybe afterwards I'll come here again and we'll talk
things over a bit."

Prudence sat staring at her brother, but Hervey avoided her gaze. Mrs.
Malling was too heartbroken to speak yet. Her weather-tanned face had
blanched as much as it was possible for it to do. Her boy had gone
out upon the world to seek his fortune, and he had succeeded in
establishing himself, he had written and told her. He had found gold
in