Sadie smiled.  “My having more money won’t make trouble between me and Bob; he doesn’t mind how much I’ve got.  But I suppose you want Steve back?”

“Of course!  It’s all I want, but the matter is not as simple as it looks.  I don’t think he will come back as long as he’s poor, and if he does, he won’t use my capital, and things will be as before.  If he earns some money, I should feel hurt because he was obstinate and wouldn’t let me help.  That’s why I don’t know what to do.  I wish I’d never had the money!”

Sadie thought Helen had some ground she had not mentioned yet for her distress.  Moreover, it looked as if she still felt she had a grievance against Festing, and their clashing ideas about the money did not altogether account for this.

“I guess you’re keeping something back.”

Helen’s reserve had broken down.  She was half ashamed because she had lost it, but she felt the need of sympathy, and Sadie could be trusted.

“He didn’t see, or didn’t mind, that his going away would bear out the wicked story!” she exclaimed with sparkling eyes.  “I feel that was the worst.”

“I don’t know that it looks quite as bad as you think.  It’s a common thing for a farmer who has lost his crop to go off and work on a new railroad, particularly if he has teams the construction boss can use.  Anyhow, I guess the thing will come right, and I’ll help if I can.  But I want to see my way before I move.”

Helen did not answer, and soon afterwards Sadie left the homestead.  She said nothing to Charnock about her visit, but started for the settlement next morning and informed herself about what had happened at the poolroom and what people thought.  Then she drove home, and getting back at dusk, sat down opposite Charnock, who lounged in a basket chair with a pipe in his mouth.  Her eyes twinkled with rather grim humor.

“You don’t look as if anything bothered you,” she said.

“It’s possible,” Charnock agreed.  “I suppose I’m lucky because I have nothing much to bother about.”

“You wouldn’t bother about it, anyhow.  You leave that kind of thing to me.”

Charnock gave her a quick glance.  She was not angry, which was something of a relief, because Sadie was difficult when she let herself go.  Besides, he was not conscious of having done anything to vex her since he gave Wilkinson the cheque.  But she looked resolute.

“I’ve a good excuse,” he answered.  “I’ve got a remarkably capable wife.”

“We’ll cut out the compliments.  I don’t think you have seen any of the boys from the settlement since Festing left.”

Charnock said he had not done so, and she gave him a thoughtful look.

“I suppose you can’t remember when you last did something useful; something that would help somebody else?”

“It’s a painful confession, but I can’t remember.  Still I’ve some experience of being helped along a way I didn’t want to go, which leads me to believe it’s often kinder to leave folks alone.”