time. I got this from Rickety Dick. Know him?"

Latisan, relighting his pipe, shook his head with an indifferent wag.

"Well, you soon will. He cooks and waits and tends on Eck. Looks up to
Eck. Loves Eck--and that's going some! Dick told me about the allowance
Eck made for once in his life after I had touched Dick up by telling him
that Eck Flagg never made an allowance to anybody. Eck allowed to Dick
that Lida was too young to choose the right way that day in the yard.
When she had grown up Eck sent old Dick to hunt for her in the city, to
tell her she could come back to him, now that she was old enough to make
her choice. Said Sylvia couldn't come back. Now that was a devil of a
position to put a girl in. What? Hey?"

Latisan nodded, displaying faint interest.

"And Sylvia right then was in bed with her never-get-over, so Dick told
me. Of course Lida wouldn't come back. And she was working her fingers
to the bone to take care of her mother. Old Dick cried like a baby when
he was telling me. He cries pretty easy, anyway. He never dared to give
to Eck the word that Lida sent back. She's got the spirit of the Flaggs,
so I judge from what Dick told me. She wouldn't even take the eggs and
the truck Dick lugged down, though Dick had bought 'em with his own
money; she thought the stuff came from her grandfather. Dick had to hide
'em under the table when he came away. And so Eck has crossed Lida off
for ever and aye. Now that's some story, ain't it?"

"I haven't enjoyed it," said Ward, brusquely.

"Prob'ly not. I wasn't telling it thinking you'd give three cheers when
I finished. But I've been warning you not to make a foolish break by
stubbing your toe over the family topic. I've heard what has happened to
the Latisans over Tomah way. You're our real sort, and I'm blasted sorry
for you. I reckon you need a job and I'm trying to help you hold it. I
like your looks, young Latisan. I hate the Comas crowd. Craig has never
set down to my table but what he has growled about the grub. The cheap
rowdies he hires for his operations on these waters come through here
with bootleg booze and try to wreck my house. I'd like to be friends
with you, young Latisan, and if you feel that way about it, put it
there!"

Brophy held out a fat hand and Latisan grasped it cordially.

"In my position I hear all the news," stated the landlord. "I'll sift
the wheat out of the chaff and hand you what's for your own good. And
now you'll have to