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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。 Stay here。〃
Obediently the big dog would lay himself down with a sigh on the
porch edge； his head between his white little forepaws； his sorrowful
brown eyes following the progress of his master down the lane to the
highroad。
But he grieved； as only a sensitive highbred dog can grievea dog who
asks nothing better of life than permission to live and to die at the side of
the man he has chosen as his god； to follow that god out into rain or chill；
to starve with him； if need be； to suffer at his handsin short； to do or to
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be anything except to be separated from him。
Link Ferris had gotten into the habit of leaving Chum alone at home；
oftener and oftener of late； as his own evening absences from the farm
grew more and more frequent。
He left Chum at home because She did not like dogs。
〃She〃 was Dorcas Chatham； the daughter of Hampton's postmaster and
general storekeeper。
Old Man Chatham in former days would have welcomed Cal Whitson；
the official village souse； to his home as readily as he would have admitted
the ne'er…do…well Link Ferris to that sanctuary。 But of late he had noted the
growing improvement in Link's fortunes； as evidenced by his larger store
trade； his invariable cash payments and the frequent money orders which
went in his name to the Paterson savings bank。
Wherefore； when Dorcas met Link at a church sociable and again on a
straw ride and asked him to come and see her some time； her sire made no
objection。 Indeed he welcomed the bashful caller with something like an
approach to cordiality。
Dorcas was a calm…eyed； efficient damsel； more than a little pretty； and
with much repose of manner。 Link Ferris； from the first； eyed her with a
certain awe。 When a mystic growing attraction was added to this and when
it in turn merged into love； the sense of awe was not lost。 Rather it was
strengthened。
In all his thirty…one lean and lonely years Link had never before fallen
in love。 At the age when most youths are sighing over some wonder girl；
he had been too busy fighting off bankruptcy and starvation to have time
or thought for such things。
Wherefore； when love at last smote him it smote him hard。 And it
found him woefully unprepared for the battle。
He knew nothing of women。 He did not know； for example； what the
average youth finds out in his teensthat grave eyes and silent aloofness
and lofty self…will and icy pietism in a maiden do not always signify that
she is a saint and that she must be worshiped as such。 Ferris had no one to
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tell him that far oftener these signs point merely to stupid narrowness and
to lack of ideas。
Dorcas was clever at housework。 She was quietly self…assured。 She
was good to look upon。 She was not like any of the few girls Link had met。
Wherefore he built for her a sacred shrine in his innermost heart； and he
knelt before her image there。
If Ferris found her different from the other Hampton girls； Dorcas
found him equally different from the local swains she knew。 She
recognized his hidden strength。 The maternal element in her nature
sympathized with his loneliness and with the marks it had left upon his
soul。
For the resthe was neither a village cut…up like Con Skerly； nor a
solemn mass of conceit like Royal Crews； nor patronizing like young
Lawyer Weth