Part 16 (1/2)
”Oh, no! You are not one to fail!”
Prescott was slightly embarra.s.sed. He had a feeling that he was being gently led on toward a closer acquaintance with his companion. She was dropping the reserve she had at first displayed and seemed to invite him tacitly into her confidence. He admitted that this idea might be incorrect, but it had troubled him once or twice before.
”I expect you'll be comfortable enough while I'm away,” he said. ”Mrs.
Svendsen's trustworthy, and everything will be quiet after the harvesters have gone.”
Gertrude did not answer, and they went on in silence to the noisy separator. Perspiring men, stripped of their heavier garments, were tossing the sheaves amid a cloud of dust; cleaned grain poured out into open bags, and as each was filled two panting toilers flung it into a wagon. Near-by stood a great and growing pile of bags, over which the short straw would be spread a number of feet thick, to form a granary.
Gertrude joined her father, who was standing near the machine, moodily looking on, and before Prescott had unloaded his wagon Curtis rode up with Private Stanton.
”Nothing new at the muskeg, sir,” he reported to Jernyngham rather curtly, and walked his horse toward Prescott.
”We were pa.s.sing,” he told him, and indicated the pile of grain. ”You're not selling right away?”
”No; I'm not ready to haul the crop in to the elevators yet. I've one or two more pressing things to do.”
”Mayn't you miss a chance? Prices are pretty good.”
Prescott was on his guard; he felt that Curtis suspected him.
”I don't know,” he answered. ”I guess they won't fall much.”
”Your neighbors mean to sell, though it's quite likely that's to meet their bills, and you always tried to get in on the first of the market until this year. It must have cost you a pile to put in that big crop.”
”It did.”
”Then how have you got so prosperous since last fall?”
It was a pointed question, because everybody in the district knew that Prescott had sold only a few head of cattle and a horse or two, while he would shortly have his accounts to meet.
”It's a matter of management,” he replied. ”I've been working on a different system this spring, and I find it pays.” Then he looked steadily at the corporal, ”Besides, running Jernyngham's place along with mine made it easier to cut expenses.”
”It's a great crop. But we must be getting on.”
He rode off and when they had left the stubble, Private Stanton looked at him.
”His being able to hold his wheat; which he couldn't do last year, is a pretty strong count against the man. You gave him his chance for explaining and he made a mighty bad show. Looks as if he'd got some money he couldn't account for since last fall.”
”Not proved,” returned Curtis. ”There's something in what he said.
Anyway, he isn't afraid of us, since he's putting up his grain.”
”I don't quite catch on.”
Curtis smiled.
”You're young. A guilty man would have rushed his crop into the elevators and had his money ready to light out with. If Prescott pulls out suddenly, he'll have to leave his property behind.”
”The thing's between him and Wandle,” Stanton persisted.
”Looks like that. Anyway, as the Austrian's at the settlement, we'll have a good look round his homestead. It's possible that we'll find something.”