aside her disappointment. Allister was home, he was well and prosperous and that was surely enough happiness for one day. She sat beside him, keeping tight hold of his hand, patting it occasionally and repeating Gaelic words of endearment, precious words he had not heard since he was a child and which brought a sting to his eyes. 

 The family conference did not last long, for the neighbours had heard that Allister Lindsay was home from the West, and the chores were not nearly completed when visitors began to arrive to welcome the long absent one. The girls hurried about their work, while Allister ran here and there and got in every one's way. He followed Christina down to the milking and back again to the spring house and helped her with the separator, and she was rapturously happy that he should single her out for special notice. 

 He was back at the barnyard with Uncle Neil again, when she came out of the barn with a basket of eggs. Uncle Neil was turning the cows into the back lane to drive them up to the pasture. 

 "Here, Uncle Neil, let me do that," cried Allister.  "I want to see what it feels like to drive the cows to the back pasture again. Hurrah here, Christine! Come along with me, for fear I get lost!" 

 Christina fairly threw her basket of eggs at Uncle Neil, and ran after her brother. They walked hand in hand up the lane like a couple of children. 

 "Maybe you wanted to go back to the house and get dolled up before the boys come," he said, looking down at her big milking apron. 

 Christina eyed him suspiciously. She was wondering if he was thinking that she needed much more fixing up than her sisters. 

 "No," she answered, "I'm beautiful enough without. It's just girls like Ellen and Mary that need to be fussing over their looks." 

 Allister looked down at her in admiration that was impossible to mistake. 

 "By ginger, you're right," he shouted heartily; "you're the sort of a girl for me. Say, what would you say to coming out West and keeping house for me?" 

 Here was Opportunity come back to her! Christina seized him tightly. 

 "Oh, my! Wouldn't that be grand. It would be the very best—well, the second best thing in the world!" 

 "And what would be the very best?" 

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