When the whole country was wild to go he turned up his nose at the idea.

And now, mind you, after one or two whom he knew came back with some gold, he must go and dig up a few million tons of it for himself! Your Dilly is rather bright, do you know?
He met father and heard all about his complaint--how he'd go to the Klondyke in a minute if he could only get the ranch and Mama Joy and me off his hands--so what does Dilly do but buy the old ranch and hire Mama Joy and me to come here and keep house! Father, I am ashamed to say, was _abjectly_ grateful to get rid of his incumbrances, and he--he hit the trail immediately." She stopped and searched absently with her fingers for another spear of hay.
"Do you know, Mr.Boyle, I think men are the most irresponsible creatures! A _woman_ wouldn't turn her family over to a neighbor and go off like that for three or four years, just chasing a sunbeam.
I--I'm horribly disappointed in father.

A man has no right to a family when he puts everything else first in his mind.

He'll be gone three or four years, and will spend all he has, and we--can shift for ourselves.

He only left us a hundred dollars, to use in an emergency! He was afraid he might need the rest to buy out a claim or get machinery or something.