that I hadn't much money to leave with her; but I had to go. The man
who will take no chances has to stay at the bottom."

"Then, if it's not an impertinence, your means are small?"

"Your interest is a compliment. We had two hundred dollars when we
were married. You wouldn't consider that much to begin on?"

"No. Still, of course, it depends upon what one expects. After all, I
think my poorest friends have been happiest."

"We had only one trouble--making the money go round," Harding told her
with grave confidence. "It was worst in the hot weather, when other
people could move out of town, and it hurt me to see Marianna looking
white and tired. I used to wish I could send her to one of the farms
up in the hills--though I guess she wouldn't have gone without me.
She's brave, and when my chance came she saw that I must take it. She
sent me off with smiles; but I knew what they cost."

"Courage to face a hard task is a great gift. So you consider this
trip to the Northwest your opportunity? You must expect to sell a good
deal of paint."

Harding looked up with a sudden twinkle.

"I'll admit to you, ma'am, that I expect to sell very little. The
company will pay my commission on any orders I get at the settlements,
but this is my venture, not theirs. I'm going up into the wilds to
look for a valuable raw material."