Agatha felt half amused and half annoyed. George often made remarks like
this and imagined that they clinched his arguments. She saw that he had
been meddling.

"What did you do after seeing the doctor?" she asked suspiciously.

"I went to your principal at the school. She said she would talk to the
managers and had no doubt that if it was needful they would let you off
for a time. Now as I can fix the thing with the doctor, there's no
reason you shouldn't quit work and stop with us."

Agatha colored angrily. George meant well, but he had gone too far. She
felt this worse because she was tempted to give way. She liked her
brother's wife and needed a rest.

"Well," she said, "I suppose I ought to have expected something of the
kind, but it's comforting to feel that your efforts are wasted. I shall
be quite well in a week or two and am going back to school. For one
thing, I shall need some money before very long."

George looked hard at her. "You don't say why. Still if it's money that
prevents you taking the proper line, I might lend you some--" He stopped
and resumed with suspicion: "But I won't give you a dollar to waste in
searching for father's silver lode!"

"I am going to look for the lode," said Agatha quietly.

"I hoped you had got over that foolishness," George rejoined, throwing
his cigarette on the floor, although he was generally careful about