“‘Yes, I am weak, I know it.  But I promise you....’

“‘Don’t promise!’ she says almost sternly, and lifts a finger warningly.  ’How many times have you promised, with tears in your eyes, and done the same again?  Don’t promise—­but try to be stronger.’

“‘I will try, sister—­dear, dear sister.’  And I take her hands and kiss them gratefully again and again....”

“Ho! so that’s the way you talk together, is it?” said the gloom.  “Well, I’m not sure it might not be a good thing if your sister were alive.  Then, perhaps, if she talked like that to you occasionally, you might be a different man altogether.”

The young man sat for a while in thought.

“Then suddenly she jumps up and lights the lamp—­it is getting dark.  And she comes and puts her hands on my shoulders and says, ’Let me help you checking those accounts—­you know I can.’

“And she sits down at the table, and I watch her little hand gliding over the paper.  And I set to work at the books, and so we work for a long time.

“Then suddenly she looks up, and begins talking again.  ’Why, what a great man you’re getting, Olof—­keeping the books in an office of your own—­and with a secretary into the bargain.  There’s never a lumberman risen so far at your age, and never a foreman that looks so fine, with office and clerk and all’

“And I laugh at that.  ’And never one with such a sister to help—­that I’m sure.’

“Then she turns serious again, and looks at me strangely.  I can’t make out what she means.

“‘Tell me,’ she says at last, ’how long are you going to go on with this wandering life?  It’s three years now.’

“‘Is it so long as that?’ I ask in surprise.  ’Twill be longer yet, I doubt.’

“’If I were you, I would make an end of it at once.  Let us both go home and take over the farm there—­mother and father have worked so hard there all their lives—­it’s time they were allowed to rest.’

“I look at her without speaking, and she understands.  ’Father?  Never fear—­he’s forgotten his anger long ago.  And mother and he are both waiting for you to come home—­for brother Heikki is too young to take over the place....’

“‘Do you really think so?’

“’Think?  I know!  And there’s any amount of work all waiting for you.  New ground to be sown, and a new barn to build, and we ought to have three times the stock we have now.  And there’s all Isosuo marsh—­you’ve that to drain and cultivate.  When are you going to begin?’

“‘Drain the marsh?  How could you think of that?’

“’Why shouldn’t I?  I’m your sister.  It will be a big piece of work—­father himself never ventured to try it—­but you’re a bigger man than your father—­a big, strong man....’

“’Sister!  Now I simply must give you a kiss.  There’s no one like you in all the world.

“And we go home the very next week.  And all turns out just as you said—­more live stock, new ground sown, clover where there was but marsh before, and Koskela is grown to a splendid place, known far and wide.  And we are so happy—­with you to keep house and me to work the land.  And the years go by and we grow old, but our children....