fur havin' me fill his pulpit off an' on. He's gettin'
old. An' Judge Baronet was all but ready to adopt me in the place av a
son he'd lost. But I knowed the boy'd soon be back."

O'mie gave me a sidelong glance, but I gave no hint of any feeling.

"No, I was like Bud, ready to try the frontier," he added more
seriously. "I'm goin' down with you to join this Kansas regiment."

"Now what the deuce can you do in the army, O'mie?" I could not think of
him anywhere but in Springvale.

"I want to live out av doors till I get rid av this cough," he answered.
"And ye know I can do a stunt in the band. Don't take giants to fiddle
and fife. Little runts can do that. Who do you reckon come to Springvale
last month?"

"Give it up," I answered.

"Father Le Claire."

"Oh, the good man!" Bud exclaimed.

"Where has he been? and where was he going?" I asked coldly.

O'mie looked at me curiously. He was shrewder than Bud, and he caught
the tone I had meant to conceal.

"Where? Just now he's gone to St. Louis. He's in a hospital there. He's
been sick. I never saw him so white and thin as whin he left. He told
me he expected to be with the Osages this Winter."

"I'm glad of that," I remarked.

"Why?" O'mie spoke quickly.

"Oh, I was afraid he might go out West. It's hard on priests in the
West."

O'mie looked steadily at me, but said nothing.

"Who taketh your plathe, O'mie?" Bud asked.

"That's the beauty av it. It's a lady," O'mie answered.

Somehow my heart grew sick. Could it be Marjie, I wondered. I knew money
matters were a problem with the Whatelys, but I had hoped for better
fortune through my father's help. Maybe, though, they would have none of
him now any more than of myself. When Marjie and I were engaged I did
not care for her future, for it was to be with me, and my burden was my
joy then. Not that earning a living meant any disgrace to the girl. We
all learned better than that early in the West.

"Well, who be thaid lady?" Bud questioned.

"Miss Letitia Conlow," O'mie answered with a grave face.

"Oh, well, don't grieve, O'mie; it might be worse. Cheer up!" I said
gayly.

"It couldn't be, by George! It just couldn't be no worse." O'mie was
more than grave, he was sad now. "Not for me, bedad! I'm glad." He
breathed deeply of the sweet, pure air of the Plains. "I can live out
here foine, but there's goin' to be the divil to pay in the town av
Springvale in the nixt six months. I'm glad to be away."