Sam Motherwell was as good as his word.

He went to Winnipeg the next day, but before he left he drew a check for one hundred dollars, payable to Polly’s mother, which he gave to the Church of England clergyman to send for him.  About two months afterwards he received a letter from the clergyman of the parish in which Polly’s mother lived, telling him that the money had reached the old lady in time to save her from the workhouse; a heart-broken letter of thanks from Polly’s mother herself accompanied it, calling on God to reward them for their kindness to her and her dear dead girl.

CHAPTER XXII SHADOWS

One morning when Tom came into the kitchen Pearl looked up with a worried look on her usually bright little face.

“What’s up, kid?” he asked kindly.  He did not like to see Pearl looking troubled.

“Arthur’s sick,” she said gravely.

“Go on!” he answered, “he’s not sick.  I know he’s been feeling kind of used up for about a week, but he worked as well as ever yesterday.  What makes you think he is sick?”

“I went out last night to be sure I had shut the henhouse door, and I heard him groanin’, and I said, knockin’ on the door, ‘What’s wrong, Arthur?’ and he said, ’Oh, I beg your pardon, Pearl, did I frighten you?’ and I said, ‘No, but what’s wrong?’ and he said, ’Nothing at all, Pearl, thank you’; but I know there is.  You know how polite he is—­wouldn’t trouble anybody.  Wouldn’t ask ye to slap ‘im on the back if he was chokin’.  I went out two or three times and once I brought him out some liniment, and he told me every time he would be ’well directly,’ but I don’t believe him.  If Arthur groans there’s something to groan for, you bet.”

“Maybe he’s in love,” Tom said sheepishly.

“But you don’t groan, Tom, do you?” she asked seriously.

“Maybe I ain’t in love, though, Pearl.  Ask Jim Russell, he can tell you.”

“Jim ain’t in love, is he?” Pearl asked anxiously.  Her responsibilities were growing too fast.  One love affair and a sick man she felt was all she could attend to.

“Well, why do you suppose Jim comes over here every second day to get you to write a note to that friend of yours?”

“Camilla?” Pearl asked open-mouthed.  Tom nodded.

“Camilla can’t leave Mrs. Francis,” Pearl declared with conviction.

“Jim’s a dandy smart fellow.  He only stays on the farm in the summer.  In the winter he book-keeps for three or four of the stores in Millford and earns lots of money,” Tom said, admiringly.

After a pause Pearl said thoughtfully, “I love Camilla!”

“That’s just the way Jim feels, too, I guess,” Tom said laughing as he went out to the stable.

When Tom went out to the granary he found Arthur dressing, but flushed and looking rather unsteady.

“What’s gone wrong with you, old man?” he asked kindly.