"She grew up out there. I had as fine a woman as I could find--educated--horse sense--to look after her, but we never could do much with Nancy. She wouldn't go to school but she'd read more books than all the girls in Sabinsport before she was sixteen and spoke French and German like a native. She hated the town and she loved dogs and horses, and, by George, how she understood 'em. I never saw anything like it. Of course, I let her have all she wanted, and before I knew what I was getting into she was breeding 'em--had a stable, kennels, began to go East to horse shows, dog shows; go anywhere she heard of a good animal. Regular passion--didn't think of anything else. Funny to see her--so slight and fine and free-moving, talking to jockeys and breeders and bookmen--never seeing them--only the horses. 'Twan't long before horsemen began to listen to her, and she began to enter her own and then I lost her from here. Mrs. Peters is always with her, but Nancy is all right. Just naturally don't know anything but the best men or horses. Has an instinct for points. She is always saying she'll come back some day and stay. I wanted to build in town for her but she won't have it. Farm's home to her. But I don't expect ever to see her again, Ingraham. "It was like her to throw herself in this thing. Never could stand it to see anything suffer--hated anything she thought was unjust. "I tell you she rules me. Remember once you complimented me for leaving the old Paradise just as it came down to the town, building in the big addition as a kind of background, to set off the original? That was Nancy--would have it so--sent an architect here that she had coached herself. And you remember four years ago when I turned front on compensation--time of the big accident in the 'Emma'? Well, that was Nancy--got my orders from her. Queer thing how she keeps track of things here--reads the _Argus_ every day, no matter where she is. She was all crumpled up over the 'Emma,' naturally enough--and when the _Argus_ began on compensation she wrote me a better argument than ever Gardner put up and told me she'd never take another dollar from me if I didn't support it. What could I do? I knew she meant it. "She was visiting in London when the war came. Patsy McCullon saw her there--like her to go to Serbia. She said the Belgians were near and bound to get help, but everybody seemed to have forgotten Serbia. She went in October. I've had only a few letters--all cheerful--wouldn't do anything else--she's putting in all her income and it's a pretty good one. Nancy's rich as a girl ought to be, from her granddad and mother. I don't believe she'll ever come out. They're bound to run over the country. Nancy will stick till she drops. God, Ingraham, it's hard to lose her.