Part 3 (1/2)

When he woke Carrie had co the lamp Jake had entered with her and put a tray on the table

”Supper's served,” he said ”It's better hash than you used to hand out in the woods, and Carrie has fixed sonolia drips in the way you like Well, you better get busy, and we'll play we're in camp I'll locate at the botto, with his back to the wall and a plate on his knee, and Ji things when he was ill, and the little shabby rooh, stained floor, see view He saw black pines, with thebetween their stiff branches, wood s in the snow Jake wore ragged furs and his eyes twinkled, as they twinkled now Jake was a humorous philosopher and if his humor was sometimes thin his philosophy was sound He hite; one could trust him Then Jim came back to the room above the store He liked the way Jake waited on Carrie, although Jake owned he had not been a success when he oing to talk business,” Jake reraph department since we came home and one of the construction bosses was in town to-day He allowed you h, and if anted the contract for the new line they're going to run across the ranges, he'd back our tender”

”Jio back yet You mustn't bother him,” Carrie said firmly

”We can't dochance and I don't see many chances for us in this old town”

Carrie looked thoughtful She knew the wilds would draw Jake back and Jio, but the North was a stern country and she wanted to keep them for a timeShe was honest and owned that she wanted to keep both

”Can you finance the job?” she asked

”It's going to coood and the construction boss could get us a check as we go on if the as approved Of course, if ere pushed, we could sell out the Bluebird The assay's all right and one or two of the big syndicates are looking up copper Still I don't want to sell”

”You reed ”What you say about it goes”

Jih work on the copper vein to get their patent, but could develop the mine no further without capital Jim did not understand what Carrie had to do with this

”He doesn't know,” Jake remarked, and turned to Jim with a smile ”We put in the stakes and filed the record, but Carrie's a partner She helped us out”

”Ah,” said Jiold they had found was all spent before they proved the copper vein Food cost much and nobody would let theht worth exploiting then, since transport was expensive When it looked as if they ot some money from home, and now Jim kneho had sent the sum He did not kno Carrie had saved it, but shethe lance at Jis you probably wanted and ought to have had We could have let the hed ”I don't know if you're nice or not Anyhow, I had thefor a tiood job Why shouldn't I send Jake the ,” Jiirl can always spend ht”

”Now you're certainly nice, but we'll let it go Your taking the money made me a partner, and in theenough, soive you what the mine is worth”

”I think so Copper's hard to sold, but things will be different now the country's opening up We will hold the patent until you are willing to sell”

”Thank you,” said Carrie ”It cost you so snow, and no greedy city et on If they give you the telegraph contract, I'o! You had better tell her it's impossible”

”I'll leave it to you There's notwhen she thinks she can”

Jigedness of the country and Carrie listened with inscrutable calo?”

”It isn't that You don't knohat you are up against”

”I have a notion,” Carrie reoes smooth and I have a soft job here?”