ulness he had not expected. He had
grown very like Helen.

"A quarrel about a principle is apt to be dangerous," he resumed.
"Although you are probably both wrong, you can persuade yourselves you
are right. Then while I was glad to hear about your wedding, I'll admit
that I saw some difficulties. Helen has a strong will and is sometimes
rather exacting, while you're an obstinate fellow and a little too
practical. I must wait until I know more than I do now, but might be
of some use as a peacemaker. Isn't it possible to compromise? Can't you
meet half way?"

"Not in the meantime. I can't go home until I'm able to run the farm
without your sister's help. There's some risk of her despising me if I
did go."

"You may be right; I can't judge," Dalton thoughtfully agreed. "Now I
could, of course, find an excuse for getting you dismissed, but I
know you both too well to imagine that plan would work. You would go
somewhere else, while though Helen is generous there's a hard streak in
her. I really think she'd like you better afterwards if you carried your
intentions out."

He paused and smiled. "She got the money you object to in a very curious
way--by refusing to indulge the wishes of our only rich relation. I
was more compliant because his plans met my views, and he paid for my
education, but when he died we found Helen had got her share and mine.
I understand he told his lawyer that he still thought her wrong; but if
she thought she was right, she was justified in refusing, and he admired
her pluck."

"She has pluck," said Festing. "On the whole I don't think that makes
things much better for me. Anyhow, I've taken this contract and I've got
to stay with it."

"I'll help you as far as I can," said Dalton, who soon afterwards left
the shack.

CHAPTER XX

FESTING GETS TO WORK

Mist rolled among the pines and it was raining hard when Festing led his
team down the hill. He wore big rubber boots and slickers, and a heavy
log trailed behind the horses through the mud. Some distance above the
river the slope was gradual, and it was necessary to haul the logs to
the skidway he had built. They would then run down without help; indeed,
the difficulty was to stop them when they reached the track. Festing was
wet and dirty, and the sweating horses were splashed. When he stopped
to unhook the chain, three or four men came up with cant-poles, and
struggling in the churned-up mire, rolled the log to the top of the
incline