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hiding him somewhere till the search was over？〃
〃I'm here； ain't I？〃 countered Ferris defiantly。
〃But why？〃 she insisted。 〃WHY？〃
〃Because I'm a fool； I s'pose；〃 he growled。 〃I guess Chum wouldn't
care much 'bout livin' with a thief。 Take him up there with you on the seat。
Don't let him fall out。 An'〃his voice scaling a half octave in its pain
〃keep him to home after this。 I ain't no measly angel。 I can't swear I'd have
the grit to fetch him back another time。〃
He stopped； to note a curious phenomenon。 There were actually tears
in the girl's big grave eyes。 Link wondered why。 Then she said：
〃Cavalier isn't my father's dog。 He is mine。 My father gave him to me
when he bought him； last spring。 Colonel Marden seemed to have
forgotten that to…day。 And I didn't want to start a squabble by reminding
him of it。 After all； it's my father's affair； and mine。 Nobody else's。 My
father got me another collie last spring to take Cavalier's place。 A collie
I'm ever so fond of。 So I don't need Cavalier。 I don't want him。 I tried to
find you to tell you so。 But you had gone。 So I got my father to drive me to
your place。 We'd have started sooner； but Cavalier got away。 And we
waited to look for himto bring him along。〃
〃Bring him along？〃 mutteringly echoed the blankbrained Link。 〃What
fer？〃
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〃Why；〃 laughed the girl； 〃because your house is where he belongs and
where he is going to live。 Just as he has been living all summer。
Ferris caught his breath in a choked wheeze of unbelieving ecstasy。
〃Gawd！〃 he breathed。 〃GAWD！〃
Then； he stammered brokenly
〃Theythey don't seem no right words toto thank you in； Ma'am。 But
maybe you und'stand what I'd want to say if I could？〃
〃Yes；〃 she said gently。 〃I think I understand。 I understood from the
minute I saw you and the dog together。 That's why I decided I didn't want
him。 That's why I〃
〃An' you'll get that thousand dollars！〃 cried Link； his fingers buried
rapturously in Chum's fur。 〃Ev'ry cent of it。 I〃
〃I think；〃 interrupted the girl； winking very fast。 〃I think I've got what
I wanted； already。 My father doesn't want the money either。 Do you； Dad？〃
〃Oh； for heaven's sake； stop rubbing it in！〃 fumed Gault。 〃Come on
home！ It's getting cold。 I ought to thank the Lord for not having you
anywhere near me in Wall Street； girl！ You'd send me under the hammer in
a week。〃
He kicked the accelerator； and the little car whizzed off in the twilight。
〃Chum；〃 observed Ferris； gaping after it。 〃Chum； I guess the good
Lord built that gal the same day He built YOU。 If He didwell； He sure
done one grand day's work！〃
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CHAPTER IV。 The Choice
Luck had come at last to the Ferris farm。 Link's cash went into
improvements on the place； instead of going into the deteriorating of his
inner man。 And he worked the better。 A sulky man is ever prone to be an
inefficient man。 And Link no longer sulked。
All this…combined with a wholesale boom in local agriculture； and
especially in truck gardeninghad wrought wonders in Link's farm and in
Link's bank account。 Within three years of Ferris's meeting with Chum the
place's last mortgage was wiped out and a score of needed repairs and
improvements were installed。 Also the man had a small but steadily
growing sum to his credit in a Paterson savings bank。
Life on the farm was mighty pleasant； nowadays。 Work was hard； of
course； but it was bringing results that made it more than worth while。
Ferris and his dog were living on the fat of the land。 And they were happy。
Then came the interruption that had been inevitable from the very first。
A taciturn and eternally dead…broke man； in a rural region； need not
fear intrusion on his privacy。 Convivial folk make detours round him； as if
he were a mud puddle。 Thriftier and more respectable neighbors eye him
askance or eye him not at all。
But when a meed of permanent success comes to such a man he need
no longer be lonely unless he so wills。 Which is not cynicism； but
common sense。 The convivial element will still fight shy of him。 But he is
welcomed into the circle of the respectable。
So it was with Link Ferris。 Of old he had been known as a shiftless
and harddrinking mountaineer with a sour farm that was plastered with
mortgages。 Now； he had cleared off his mortgages and had cleaned up his
farm； and he and his home exuded an increasing prosperity。
People； meeting him in the nearby village of Hampton or at church；
began to treat him with a consideration that the long…aloof farmer found
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bewildering。
Yet he liked it rather than not； being at heart a gregarious soul。 And
with gruff friendliness he met the advances of well…to…do neighbors who in
old days had scarce favored him with a nod。
The gradual change from the isolated life of former years did not make
any sort of a hit with Chum。 The collie had been well content to wander
through the day's work at his master's heels； to bring in the sheep and the
cattle from pasture； to guard the farm from intrudershuman or otherwise。
In the evenings it had been sweet to lounge at Link's feet； on the little
white porch； in the summer dusk； or to lie in drowsy content in front of the
glowing kitchen stove on icy nights when the gale screeched through the
naked boughs of the dooryard trees and the snow scratched hungrily at the
window panes。
Now； the dog's sensitive brain was aware of a subtle alteration。 He did
not object very much to the occasional visits at the house of other farmers
and townsfolk during the erstwhile quiet evenings； although he had been
happier in the years of peaceful seclusion。
But he grieved at his master's increasingly frequent absences from
home。 Nowadays； once or twice a week； Link was wont to dress himself in
his best as soon as the day's work was done； and fare forth to Hampton for
the evening。
Sometimes he let Chum go with him in these outings。 Oftener of late
he had said； as he started out：
〃Not to…night； Chummie。 S