ecause
it will make his mother happy."

"I hope so much that it will," the older man answered.

We are not going into details as to the meeting between the Marshes.
We, who are acquainted with so much of their story, can imagine what
happened. Bill Marsh left home because he felt he could not hold his
head up nor his wife's respect. He had been very foolish, and it was
this foolishness, this false pride, even a lack of faith in the
understanding of his wife that had made him stay away. Who should have
known him better than his own wife? It was harder to make Helen
understand. She asked some searching questions, but in the end she
realized the fine manliness of her father.

The two, mother and daughter, marveled at the coincidence of the
father being at the same place as Ted.

"The world is a small place, isn't it?" said Mrs. Marsh.

It did not take very long for them to be ready to leave. Marsh helped
where he could and a week after he arrived they left for Big Gulch.
Red had paved the way, in accordance with their plan.

Ted was too surprised to make any comment when he heard the news. At
first he was furiously angry at his father. Boylike, he could not
forgive certain things which an older person could. It was Mrs. Dean,
even more than Red and John Dean, who made him see and understand.

Then the Marshes came to Big Gulch. Matters adjusted themselves. It
was a busy time for all. Smiles was off, smiling and glad. So were the
other men who were to go. Brave men, all of them, doing their duty as
they saw it. Pop took up his duties as foreman.

Then the child was born to the Deans. A girl, which seemed like a
squalling, ugly baby, much like any other baby, to Ted. But to say so
to the mother or to the father or to Mrs. Marsh or to Helen, would
have been a great, an awful insult.

The men came in to see the heir apparent. They seemed clumsy, uncouth,
sheepish creatures and all of them were glad to get away, including
Pop and Ted.

With the excitement subsiding, things began again to take a normal
aspect. Mrs. Dean began to sit up, the child began to look more like a
human being, it had been decided that Helen was to rest for a few
months and then continue her studies at the nearest preparatory
school, with the purpose of entering college. John Dean was to leave
for the front in two weeks.

Our story is almost complete. Ted received a great welcome at the
Academy. The boys had heard of what he had done, of his