es," he returned, playfully.
"Didn't you say to me once, before we were married, that you hated
secrets, and never could keep one in your life?"

"It is true--quite true. I do hate them," cried Agatha.

"And for all your smiling, I know you are keeping back something from me
now."

"Foolish little wife!"

"Foolish--but still a wife. Look at me and tell the truth. Is there
anything in your heart which I do not know?"

"Yes, Agatha, several things."

The sudden change from jest to deep earnest startled the wife so much
that she was struck dumb.

"Circumstances may happen," he continued, "which a husband cannot always
tell to his wife, especially a man of my queer temper and lonely ways.
I always knew that the woman I married would have much to bear from me.
Did I not tell her so, poor little Agatha?" And he tried to take her
hand.

"You are talking in this way to soothe me, but I know well what you
mean. No husband ever really thinks himself in fault, but his wife. Emma
always said so."

Mr. Harper dropped the unwilling hand; but the next moment, by a strong
effort, reclaimed it firmly.

"Agatha, are we beginning again to be angry with one another? Is there
never to be peace between us?"

"Peace" only? Nothing closer, dearer? Yet what was it that, as Agatha
looked at her husband, made her think even his "peace" better than any
other's love?

"Yes," she murmured, after watching him long in silence--"yes, there
shall be peace. Whatever I am, I know how good you are. And," she added,
gaily, "now let me unfold a plan of mine for proving how good we both
are."

"What is it?"

"I want some money--a good deal."

Mr. Harper turned away. "Wherefore?"

"Cannot you guess? I thought you would at once--nay, that you would be
the first to propose it. I am glad I am first. Now, do guess."

"I had rather not, if it is a serious matter. If otherwise, I am hardly
quite merry enough for jests to-day. Tell me."

"It is a very simple thing, though it has cost me half-an-hour's
puzzling. I never thought so much about business in all my life.
Well,"--she hesitated.

"Go on, Agatha."

"I want--it must come out--I want you to take half or all of my--_our_
money which is in the Funds (as I believe Major Harper said, though I
have not the least idea what Funds are)--and with it to buy a new mine,
and set the poor miners all working again; they'll like it a great deal
better than flax-growing. And perhaps we could afterw