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hundred dollars, in fact. But
James had taken advantage of his
brother's absence to prejudice his
father against him James, the
model son, who never appeared a
minute late at the office of ieft
minute early and was'now booked
to" succeed his father. Sq that
Ernest was received with distinct
coldness and -ostracised by his
father's friends. After three days
he could endure this treatment no
longer. a -
"Minna," he said, "I guess the
people were right whan they said
I was a failure. x
"O, no, you aren't," she art
swered confidently"! know that
you will succeed. '
. "I'm Tnot coming back until
Min-
him
do," said Ernest 'Farleigh
na, it ever 1 ao, win you
Minna came "up" close to
.and lifted her' face so spontan
eously that there was no need to
say anything more. In fact, both
had always, known that this must
be the end of their long friendship-;
their love was the stronger
because of its slow development.
" shall always wait- dearest,"
she whispered as Ernest set out
for the West again. '
Twoyears passed; Ernest's let
ters came regularly. He had been
a-.miner, a camp cook, a real estate
agent, a. stage-coach driver;
somehow he'n'ey'er seemed" to
make, money'. Then Mrs; Far
leigh was taken ill with a linger
ing" sickness. Ernest, scraped to
gether all, the money he could col
lect and hurried home. '--He ap
peared, pborly: dressed, tremulous
again. He was one hour too late,
xHis fJher aid not speak to him
that day: He was broken down
by the shock and planned, to turn
the busjness over to James. James
treatea nis Drotner wun aerisive
contemptT On the next afternoon
Henry Farleigh suddenly stamp
ed into the room where his
younger son sat brooding over his
loss.
"I 'don't-. want you in my
house," he, shouted, "beside him
self, with 'grief and passion. "I
have, wasted hundreds -on you;
you. ha,ve proved yourself worth
less. 'When, you come back-with
fiverthousand ddllars you may 're
sume .your filial relationship to
me. Till then never -let .me see
your, face-again:" ' l
The- old rherchanj: . was not
wholly heartless, but 'he had idol
ized'his, younger ';.spn in youth,
and, and when Ernest had disap
pointed the' hopes'" that he had
entertained of him his love chang
ed to bitterness and hatred. Er
nest went out of the" room quietly.
1 shall wait -for you always,
whispered Minna.as she, alone, of
all, stood with him upon the sta
tion platform, . But the tone of
hope was gone and there was the
sound of-despair in .thewords.
Ernest was now nearly six and
twenty; Minna was a year
younger It was four years since
she had begun to dream of their
home together. Yet she respect
ed his desire to make something
of a name or fortune before meet
ing: marriage. Her money was a
millstone round her loving heart.
jyvitheageiinessl.to see his'hiother
,1 hen the years rolled by and
