"Was something which, having drawn them
forward to the frontier, filled them with dislike
for those who remained behind?"

"If you wish to put it that way -- yes." Her
answer was straight and clean-cut.

"But what of those who remained behind?"
asked Stephen, alert now. "Surely the quality
was there! It must be there yet! Those of the
old-timers who remained behind must have stayed
simply because of circumstances. Good men often
curb the adventurous spirit out of sheer conscientious
regard for others who--"

"It is you, Stephen!" interrupted Helen, quietly.
"It is you, yourself. All Easterners are not like
you, I well know. Yet you and your type are
found in all parts of the East."

Stephen stood for a long moment, his eyes fixed
on the mystic sky-line. Then he turned to her as
if about to speak. But there was only the silent
message of his longing eyes. Finally he turned
away and, as if unconsciously, fell to stroking the
horse.

He had nothing to say, and he knew it. The
girl was right, and he knew that. She had pointed
out to him only what others at different times had
mildly tried to make him see. He was a rich young
man, or would be after a death or two in his
family. But that in itself was no excuse for his
inertia. Many had told him that. But he had
never taken it seriously. It had remained for
the little woman beside him to make him fully
realize it. She alone had driven it home so that

[[139]]

p138 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p139w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p140

v?