mill  affairs;  Wagner  the  crops;  and  even  Bradley
the  quarry  matters,  and  through  Paul,  they  reach
your  father. He  will  eventually  take  Ben's  place  as
foreman."

"  That's  just  it,"  nodded  the  girl,  "  that  is  exactly
what  I  am  complaining  of. Do  you  forget  the  day
Marah  first  brought  him  up  to  the  House?  Helene
had  me  out  playing  in  the  summer  house. Papa
came  dragging  him  out  to  me  and  said :  '  Here,
here's  some  one  for  you  to  boss. He  is  for  you,
exclusively.'  Helene  will  tell  you. And  now,  after
we've  played  and  ridden  and  read  and  had  such
jolly  times  together  all  these  years,  now  when  the
old  place  is  dull  as  a  graveyard,  and  summer  is  here,
now  it's  '  Paul,  come  here,'  and  '  Paul,  go  there.'
And  what  of  me  ?  Who  can  ride  so  well  or  find
my  specimens?  Who  knows  the  paths  and  the
mountains  so  well?  And  who  can  read  so  well,  or
if  we  haven't  a  book  along,  who  can  tell  pretty
stories  about  the  rocks  and  trees  and  flowers  till,
though  we  are  alone  in  the  woods,  there  seem  to  be
living,  breathing,  understanding  creatures  all  around
us?  Pray,  what  of  me,  if  he  must  make  all  these
stupid  reports  and  go  to  Denver  and  to  Boulder  on
business  continually?  'Take  Pepito,'  Papa  says;
but  I  will  not. Pepito's  dull,  doesn't  know  quartz
from  cobblestone,  and  he  isn't  company. I  will  not
do  without  Paul. He  is  mine."


THIS  WAS  A  MAN. 29

"  Softly,  child,  softly !  "  protested  her  uncle,  lay-
ing a  cool  hand  across  her  pouting  red  lips,  "  Slave
and  feudal  days  are  passed  and  gone,  the  days  when
man  could  say  to  his  brother-man,  '  Thou  art
mine,  thy  time,  thy  labor,  thine  all.' '

"  Not  here  at  Eldhurst. 