of them if he wanted,
for he's one of those people that you always feel drawn to without
knowing why."

Mrs. Dean paused to count the stitches in her work, and Darrell, whose
thoughts were of the speaker more than of the subject of conversation,
watching her placid face, wondered whether it were possible for any
emotion ever to disturb that calm exterior. Presently she resumed her
subject, speaking in low, even tones, which a slight, gentle inflection
now and then just saved from monotony.

"He's always a friend to anybody in distress, and I guess there isn't a
poor person or a friendless person in Ophir that doesn't know him and
love him. He has had some great trouble; nobody knows what it is, but he
told David once that it had changed his whole life."

Darrell now became interested, and the dark eyes fixed on Mrs. Dean's
face grew suddenly luminous with the quick sympathy her words had
aroused.

"He always seems to be on the lookout for anybody that has trouble, to
help them; that's how he got to know my brother."

Mrs. Dean hesitated a moment. "I never spoke of this to any one before,
but I thought maybe you'd be interested to know about it," she said,
looking at Darrell with a slightly apologetic air.

"I am, and I think I understand and appreciate your motive," was his
quiet reply.

She dropped her work, folding her hands above it, and her face wore a
reminiscent look as she continued:

"When David's wife died, twelve years ago, it was an awful blow to him.
He didn't say much,--that isn't our way,--but we were afraid he would
never be the same again. His brother was out here at that time, but none
of us could do anything for him. He kept on trying to attend to business
just as usual, but he seemed, as you might say, to have lost his grip on
things. It went on that way for nearly two years; his business got
behind and everything seemed to be slipping through his fingers, when he
happened to get acquainted with Mr. Britton, and he seemed to know just
what to say and do. He got David interested in business again. He loaned
him money to start with, and they went into business together and have
been together ever since. They have both been successful, but David has
worked and planned for what he has, while Mr. Britton's money seems to
come to him. He owns property all over the State, and all through the
West for that matter, and sometimes he's in one place and sometimes in
another, but he never stays very lon