Part 15 (1/2)
”Just you sit down for five s,” said the boy ”They will hear if Miles doesn't, and there will be such a clamour that everyone will knoe are close hoers between his lips, and the resultant whistles were so piercing and shrill that Mary would have been glad to thrust her fingers in her ears, only now she would notattention to herself
The whistles had scarcely ceased to vibrate through the quiet air when in the distance there arose a ht her breath and waited now to see as cos cairl and boy aiting
”I s before I am many hours older, or I shall be afraid to stir away from the house,” Mary said to herself, with a little shi+ver, as she watched the big brutes careering round
But they anted for work, not play, so their gambols caes, and, picking up a couple of bundles hie path, closely followed by the dogs, which perfectly understood the work that was required of theirl rose to her feet, and stood for asun She stretched her ar for so she yearned to possess, then dropped the, proceeded to load the rees and bundles on to her own shoulders
If only the river had not flowed between, Mary one to her assistance As it was, she stood watching the bowed figure go slowly up the portage path to disappear a the bushes, then she also turned to retrace her steps to the hut But the tired girl was veryWhy had she stretched out her aresture of entreaty? Of course it irlish dissatisfaction with a toilsoht be that there were ambitions and desires which had to be sternly repressed
”I wonder if we shall be friends?” she said presently, speaking aloud because she had entirely forgotten that she was not alone
”Friends ho on the bench by the hut door, and Mary was leaning against the doorpost She had been standing so ever since she cairl who had looked so tired and carried such heavy burdens
”I have seen a girl this evening, such a pretty girl, and so graceful in her e as if she were a man, and I felt that I should like to know her,” Mary answered, her voice and manner more dreamy than usual Indeed, it seemed as if the place had laid a spell upon her already
”Probably you will have what you want, and then you will find yourself disappointed You must not expect to find much refinement and culture in a wild place like this,” Mr Selincourt said
”I do not look for it But however rough or illiterate this girlshe does not possess,” went on Mary, eaving fancies and theories together in quite a re for what they don't possess, and so a little Then he rose and stretched hio to bed, for I am so tired that I can hardly keep my eyes open It is so late that Jervis Ferrars will hardly colad to see hioing”
”Well, you won't have to wait long, for here he coh it seems funny that I should remember his step after so manyup through the bushes froe
”Is that you, Ferrars?” asked Mr Selincourt eagerly, his sleepiness vanishi+ng as if by ic
”Yes, sir,” responded a voice, and the next ht
”I'm sorry that I was not on hand to welcome you when you arrived,” he said
”Nohands with hi man's courteous salutation
”My welcome is only a little belated, but it could not be ht tiestion of Mr Selincourt the two sat down on the bench side by side, while Mary reainst the doorpost as before
”How is the fishi+ng?” asked Mr Selincourt
”It is going very well indeed, and you will get a very good return for your money this year, and a much better one next season I have been away on Akimiski all day, and I have been siht, cured, and marketed if only we had the necessary plant”
”What sort of fish? Everyone is saying that Hudson Bay is played out for seal and walrus, while whales are getting scarcer every year,” said Mr Selincourt, who had bought out the old co scarcity
”That er to these waters, I'ive a reliable opinion But of lesser fish, such as cod, halibut, lobster, sal to waste to feed a nation”
”I tell you ill do!” exclaimed Mr Selincourt ”We will order the necessary plant, and ill start a curing factory Of course we are out of the world for nine months in every year, but that won'trights cheaply enough to enable us toindeed out of our venture before we have done”
”Don't you think it is rather grasping of you to want to ot so much already?” broke in Mary, in a playful tone, yet with so seriousness of purpose