Part 6 (1/2)
”He didn't explain his intentions; and I made no promises. He'll get his dividends, or he can sell his stock at a premium, and that ought to satisfy him.”
”If you submitted the whole case to a business man, he'd probably tell you that you were going to make a hash of things.”
”That's your own idea?”
Carroll grinned.
”Oh, I'll reserve my opinion. It's possible you may be right. Time will show.”
They rejoined the others, and when the white mists crept lower down from the heights above and the chill of the dew was in the air, Vane launched the canoe.
”It's getting late and there's a long run in front of us to-morrow,” he informed his pa.s.sengers. ”The sloop will lie as still as if moored in a pond; and you'll have her all to yourselves. Carroll and I are going to camp ash.o.r.e.”
He paddled them off to the boat. Coming back with some blankets, he cut a few armfuls of spruce twigs in a ravine and spread them out beside the fire. Then sitting down just clear of the scented smoke he lighted his pipe and asked an abrupt question.
”What do you think of Kitty Blake?”
”She's attractive, in person and manners.”
”Anybody could see that at a glance!”
”Well,” Carroll added cautiously, ”I must confess that I've taken some interest in the girl--partly because you were obviously doing so. In a general way, what I noticed rather surprised me. It wasn't what I expected.”
”You smart folks are as often wrong as the rest of us. I suppose you looked for cold-blooded a.s.surance, tempered by what one might call experienced coquetry?”
”Something of the kind,” Carroll agreed. ”As you say, I was wrong. There are only two ways of explaining Miss Blake, and the first's the one that would strike most people. That is, she's acting a part, possibly with an object; holding her natural self in check, and doing it cleverly.”
Vane laughed scornfully.
”I've lived in the woods for nine years, but I wouldn't have entertained that idea for five seconds!”
”Then, there's the other explanation. It's simply that the girl's life hasn't affected her. Somehow, she has kept fresh and wholesome. I think that's the correct view.”
”There's no doubt of it!” declared Vane.
”You offered to help her in some way?”
”I did; I don't know how you guessed it. I said I'd find her a situation.
She wouldn't hear of it.”
”She was wise. Vancouver isn't a very big place yet, and the girl has more sense than you have. What did you say?”
”I'm afraid I lost my temper because there was nothing I could do.”
Carroll grinned.
”There are limitations--even to the power of the dollar. You'll probably run up against more of them later on.”
”I suppose so,” yawned Vane. ”Well, I'm going to sleep.”