He made a sorry attempt at laughing, and strode past her out of the door. The girl sat on the floor, rocking back and forth with even swaying motion for a long while. The cheerless world outside oppressed her through the net-work of her fingers and chilled her heart. Pitifully distinct she saw the same barren stretch of fields that Nathan had seen--the same sparse, worn-out vegetation. It looked as forlorn, as discouraging, as it had to him. But Millia Thacher's troubled soul held stubbornly to its one anchor of unswerving loyalty to the poor old farm, and of faith to their promise--Thanny's and hers--to poor old "father." Give it up? Never! Oh, no, not. They must stand by the farm. Thanny must work--she must work. She got up hastily, and peered out across the fields in the eager hope of seeing Thanny with old Bess ploughing. Surely he would plough to-day; yes, there he was, but walking idly, moodily, about, with stooped-over shoulders, like an old man. Poor Thanny! He hadn't wanted, anyway, to be a farmer, and after his brave little beginning out in the world--after father died--it had been hard to come home and settle down on the old "run-out" farm among the stumps and rocks and the meagre timothy heads. Poor Thanny! Millia watched him with loving eyes. He looked so dismal in the dismal setting of stubbly fields, backgrounded by the dull sky, that she had no heart to upbraid him. Poor Millia! The little kitchen wore its late-afternoon spick-and-span dress, and Millia sat in it, humming a little brave tune over her mending-box, when Nathan came hurrying, springing in. There was rare buoyancy in his step, and Millia wailed, astonished. "Why, Thanny!" she cried, as soon as he got within hearing range. Nathan Thacher's tanned face radiated excitement and triumph from every feature. His eyes were shining. Into Millia's hands he thrust a bit of jagged rock. [Illustration: "LOOK AT THAT, MILLY--GOLD!"] "Look at that, Milly--_gold_!" "My goodness me, Thanny!" "_Gold_, I tell you--g-o-l-d! Milly Thacher, there's gold on this farm--do you hear? It's under your face and eyes, in that rock. It's in all the rocks." He laughed shrilly, executing shuffling dance steps around her chair. "Thanny Thacher, you ain't in your right mind! You scare me." "Milly Thacher, it's the live truth! Dan Merriweather thought so as long ago as he worked for father, but father didn't believe it, nor I either. I didn't think there could be any such good luck. But there is--there is!" The boy's face was radiant. "Dan's an old Forty-niner, and he ought to know. I didn't believe him, though--not till this afternoon, when I found that rock. Seeing's believing, and can't you see? Can't you see all those little gold grains, Milly Thacher, if you've got half an eye? They're _there_. All we've got to do is to get 'em out. I guess I know gold when I see it!"