"Yes," said Carl sombrely, "there are fine, big splendid women like
that. I'm glad you know one. God knows what the world of men would do
without them. You'll go back to her?"

Wherry gulped courageously.

"If--if you think I'm fit," he said, his face white. "If you feel you
can trust me, I'll go in the morning."

"I know I can trust you," said Carl with his swift, ready smile. "I
know, old man, that you'll not forget."

"No," said Dick, "I can't forget."

"Tell me," Carl bent and turned the log. "What will you do now, Dick?
I know your head was turned a bit by the salary Starrett gave you, but
you'll not go back to that sort of work for a while anyway, will you?"

"No," said Dick. "If I knew something of scientific farming," he added
after a while, "I think I'd stay home. Dad's a doctor, a kindly,
old-fashioned chap. I--I'd like to have you know him, Carl--he's a
bully sort. He's living up there in Vermont on a farm that's never
been developed to its full possibilities. It's the best farm in the
valley, but, you see, he hasn't the time and he's growing old--"

"Why not take a course at an agricultural college?"

Wherry colored.

"I haven't the money, Carl," he acknowledged honestly. "Most of Dad's
savings went to see me through college. I've a little--"

"Would a thousand a year see you through, with what you've got?" asked
Carl quietly.

But Wherry did not answer. He had walked away to the window, shaking.
Presently he turned back to the table, but his face was white and his
eyes dark with agony. Dropping into a chair he buried his face in his
hands, unnerved at the end of his fight by Carl's offer.

Wisely the man by the fire let him fight it out by himself and for an
interval there was no sound in the quiet room save the crackle of the
log and the great choking breaths of the boy by the table, whose head
had fallen forward on his outstretched arms.

Carl threw his cigar into the fire and rose.

"Brace up, Dick!" he said at length. "We've been touching the high
spots up here and you were strung to a tension that had to break." He
crossed to Wherry and laid his hand heavily on the boy's heaving
shoulder. "Now, Dick, I want you to listen to me. I'm going to see
you through an agricultural college and you're not going to tell me I
can't afford it. I know it already. But I've four thousand a year and
that's so far off from what I need to live in my way--that a thousand
or so one wa