At the Time Appointed

With a smile Mrs. Dean addressed Darrell, who was watching the horses

with a keen appreciation of their good points.

"This 'Jack' that you've heard my brother speak of is his partner."

"Yes?" said Darrell, courteously, feeling slight interest in the

expected guest, but glad of anything to divert his thoughts.

"Yes," Mrs. Dean continued; "they've been partners and friends for more

than ten years. His name is John Britton, but it's never anything but

'Dave' and 'Jack' between the two; they're almost like two boys

together."

Darrell wondered what manner of man this might be who could transform

his silent, stern-faced host into anything boy-like, but he said

nothing.

"To see them together you'd wonder at their friendship, too," continued

Mrs. Dean, "for they're noways alike. My brother is all business, and

Mr. Britton is not what you'd really call a practical business man. He

is very rich, for he is one of those men that everything they touch

seems to turn to gold, but he doesn't seem to care much about money. He

spends a great deal of his time in reading and studying, and though he

makes very few friends, he could have any number of them if he wanted,

for he's one of those people that you always feel drawn to without

knowing why."

Mrs. Dean paused to count the stitches in her work, and Darrell, whose

thoughts were of the speaker more than of the subject of conversation,

watching her placid face, wondered whether it were possible for any

emotion ever to disturb that calm exterior. Presently she resumed her

subject, speaking in low, even tones, which a slight, gentle inflection

now and then just saved from monotony.

"He's always a friend to anybody in distress, and I guess there isn't a

poor person or a friendless person in Ophir that doesn't know him and

love him. He has had some great trouble; nobody knows what it is, but he

told David once that it had changed his whole life."

Darrell now became interested, and the dark eyes fixed on Mrs. Dean's

face grew suddenly luminous with the quick sympathy her words had

aroused.

"He always seems to be on the lookout for anybody that has trouble, to

help them; that's how he got to know my brother."

Mrs. Dean hesitated a moment. "I never spoke of this to any one before,

but I thought maybe you'd be interested to know about it," she said,

looking at Darrell with a slightly apologetic air.

"I am, and I think I understand and appreciate your motive," was his

quiet reply.