t was his vocation; he could not help
it. Yours, and I do not think you could help it either--you would have
made a remarkably poor preacher, Ralph--is to break new wheat-lands out of
the wilderness; for, you will remember--well, I'm not a preacher either,
but not wholly for Grace or yourself."

Women, I have since learned, not infrequently see, perhaps by instinct,
deeper into primal causes than men, and there was more in her words than
perhaps she realized, for though the immediate impulse may be trifling or
unworthy, it is destiny that has set the task before us, and in spite of
the doer's shortcomings it is for the good of many that all thorough work
stands. Many a reckless English scrapegrace has driven the big breaker
through new Canadian land because he dare not await the result of his
folly at home, but nevertheless, if he ploughed well, has helped to fill
the hungry in the land he left behind.

It was during the sowing that Aline showed me a paragraph in a Victoria
paper which said, among its mining news: "We hear that the Day Spring will
probably close down pending negotiations for sale. For some time there has
been friction with the owner of the neighboring property, who has also
located a mineral claim, and, it is said, has exacted large sums for
compensation. We understand there are indications of fair payable ore, but
further capital is needed to get at it. We do not desire to emulate some
newspapers in sensational stories, but there is a tale of a hard fight for
this mine between two Englishmen, one of whom championed the cause of an
oppressed colonist."

"It seems cruel," said Aline. "I am afraid Uncle Martin is very
revengeful, and I wish he had not done so much. However, from what I hear,
Colonel Carrington almost deserves it, and he has evidently treated Uncle
Martin badly. I suppose you have not heard what caused the quarrel?"

"No," I answered, "and in all probability no one ever will. It is,
however, an old one, and they only renewed it in Canada. Uncle Martin says
little about his injuries, but he doesn't forget them."

This was but the beginning, for we had news of further developments
shortly, when Calvert paid us a second visit.

"I'm going home to England for a holiday," he said. "Secured a very
indifferent post in Winnipeg, and was delighted to hear of another mining
opening in British Columbia. Now, you'll be surprised, too. It was to
enter your uncle's service. I met him about the Day