two years ago, and who never writes to him."

"The girl who went wrong?"

"So you knew about it, eh? But it isn't because of that he's
grieving himself to death. It is the awful hardness and lack of
love that he can't bear up under."

This forced colloquy was becoming intolerable. It made the son feel
all the more uncomfortable.

"I'm going over to the stone farthest out," he said. "I see a lot
of fish splashing round it."

By that move he was out of earshot of his father, and there was no
further conversation between them for the remainder of the
forenoon. But go where he would, he felt that the dim, lustreless
eyes of the old man were following him. And this time he was
actually glad when the guests arrived.

The dinner was served out of doors. When Ol' Bengtsa had taken his
place at the board he tried to cast off all worry and anxiety. When
acting as host at a party, so much of the Ol' Bengtsa of bygone
days came to the fore it was easy to guess what manner of man he
had once been.

No one from Falla was present. But it was plain that Lars Gunnarson
was in every one's thoughts; which was not surprising since this
was the day he had been warned to look out for. Now of course Ol'
Bengtsa's son had to listen to further talk about the catechetical