"He's not here," exclaimed Angus, looking around the circle of light thatthe lantern threw.

"Are you sure?" asked James Rice, after a painful pause.

"Yes," exclaimed Angus, with exaggerated ease, affecting not to notice thesignificance of the question. "Jack went to Nelson to-day, and he ain'tback yet. He went about three o'clock," went on Angus, endeavoring topatch up a shaky story with a little interesting detail. "He took overa bunch of pigs for me that I am shippin' into Winnipeg, and he wasgoin' to bring back some lumber."

"I was in Nelson to-day, Angus," exclaimed Harold Moore, sternly; "just camefrom there, and I did not see Harold Thomas."

Angus, though fallen and misguided, was not entirely unregenerate; alie sat awkwardly on his honest lips, and now that his feeble effort atdeception had miscarried, he felt himself adrift on a boundless sea. Hewildly felt around for a reply, and was greatly relieved by the arrivalof his father on the scene, who, seeing the lights of the auto in theyard, had come out hurriedly to see what was the matter. GrandpaKennedy, although nearing his ninetieth birthday, was still a man ofaffairs, and what was still more important on this occasion, a lifelongConservative. Grandpa knew it was the evening before the election; healso had seen what he had seen. Grandpa might be getting on, but hecould see as far through a cellar door as the next one. Angus, glad ofa chance to escape, went on to the stable, leaving the visitinggentlemen to be entertained by Grandpa.