Part 7 (1/2)
”I guess we have got a load now, so weto ache, having already had hter for that day at least
”You load while I jab at a fewfellows, for they seeht,” Miles cried excitedly ”I never had such fishi+ng as this; it is pri but killing Horrid work, I call it,” Katherine cried with a shudder, as, gathering up the frozen fish, she proceeded to stack theht have stacked billets of firewood
The dogs had eaten a good h the load was heavy, theynow by the side of Miles, told hi away on one of their stolen lard buckets Miles was furiously angry, and wanted to go straight off to Seal Cove, denouncing Oily Dave as a thief; but Katherine would not hear of it
”By precipitating ood,” she said ”We have had to buy our wisdoht to o upon, not facts, and it is very likely that if we accused Oily Dave of stealing our stuff he would be clever enough to turn the tables on us, and have us prosecuted for libel, or so of that sort, which would not be pleasant-nor profitable”
”I can't sit s of that sort,” retorted the boy, with the sullen look dropping over his face which Katherine hated to see there
”It isn't easy, I know, but very often it pays best in the long run,” she answered earnestly ”Whatever we do, or don't do, we must take especial care that Father isn't worried just now He ht for the present, and if our business pride gets wounded, wedown for his sake”
”Katherine, are you afraid that Father is going to die?” Miles asked, turning his head quickly to look at her; and there was the same terrified expression on his face which had been there when he asked the same question a feeeks before
”I think his recovery will depend very largely on whether we can keep him from anxiety for the next two or three months,” she answered; and there was a stab of pain at her heart as she thought of the gnawing apprehension and worry which were secretly sapping his strength
”Then Oily Dave mustn't be h of renunciation; ”but sooner or later he has got to pay for it, or I will know the reason why”
CHAPTER VIII
The First Rain
The weary weeks of winter passed sloay April caht days and abundant sunshi+ne, but still the frost-king held sway, and all the earth was sobund, the rivers were mute, and the waterfalls existed only in naht that soh from Thunder Bay by way of the Albany River with mails; but as this arded it only as a piece of winter fiction, and thought no more about it There were fifty e and the Albany River at its nearest point; but this was undoubtedly the nearest trail to civilization and the railway, and when the waters were open it was easier than any other route
Two days later Katherine was in the cellar overhauling the stores, which were getting so shrunken that she ondering how they could possibly beup the ladder, found a tired-looking Indian standing there, who had a bag of mails strapped on to his back
”Have you really come from Thunder Bay?” she asked in a surprised tone
”Yah,” he responded pro the burden from his back, showed her the na
Her father being too unwell to leave his bed that day, Katherine received thethe Indian a receipt for it, proceeded to open the bag and sort the letters it contained There were only a few, and as they werefleet, and to Astor M'Kree, Katherine was quick in co to the conclusion that it was Mr Selincourt who had arranged with the post office for the forwarding of this particular ht of him As a rule she preferred to keep him out of her remembrance as much as possible; but there were ti was forced upon her The broad glare of sunlight streah the open door of the store was another reiant strides, and fro to summer in that land of fervid sunshi+ne was a period so brief as to be almost breathless
The Indian made some purchases of food and tobacco, but as his conversational powers did not seeo beyond a sepulchral ”Yah”, which he used indifferently for yes and no, neither Katherine nor Phil could get one, Miles cae, and was immediately started off to deliver the letters at Seal Cove
A mail that arrives only once in fiveof moment, even when, as in this case, it was limited to half a dozen letters and three or four newspapers To Katherine's great delight one of the papers was addressed to The Poste, and she carried it in to her father in the dreary little rooot: a letter?” he asked, turning towards her, his face looking even more thin and drawn than usual
”No, there were no letters for any of us; ours usually co, you know; but this is a sort of special ht by Indians from Maxokaood thing to be postmaster even of a place so reh
”A newspaper will be a treat indeed I think I will get up, Katherine, and sit by the stove in the store; one can't read a newspaper coo out delivering the mail”
”Miles has taken the Seal Cove letters, but there is one for Astor M'Kree that Phil and I will take up this afternoon; the dogs will be glad of a run,” she answered, bringing his gar them near the bed so that he could slip into thee, and two people to carry one letter!” he exclailad to see that his o too, and we shall take up a sar”
”That sounds better at any rate, and I shall be delighted for you to have a run in the sunshi+ne,” 'Duke Radford said, with that thoughtful consideration for others which made his children love hione many yards from the door that afternoon before she noticed a difference in the telad to unfasten her scarlet cloud, while the glare of the sunshi+ne was beco