Part 19 (1/2)
”Your father can't attend to anything, then?” Mr Selincourt enquired pitifully He had heard a little of 'Duke Radford's affliction, and syht of responsibility to carry
Miles shook his head ”Since his stroke, Father has not been able to do anything at all His one, yet he is so pleased to see people, and he always seeo and talk to him for a little while, sir? He would like to see you, I know”
Mr Selincourt rose from his barrel with alacrity ”Oh, yes! I will pay hi else to do for the next hour, for I pro round in soft spots to-day”
Miles opened the door of the kitchen and ushered the visitor in Mrs Burton wasa batch of bread, and had to limit her welcome to cheery words and smiles; but the twins i upon hi, until one knew that they were never troubled with that complaint at home
”Father, Mr Selincourt has come to see you He is the nener of the fleet, you know,” Mrs Burton said, speaking in raised tones to a tall, worn man who sat in the sunshi+ne by the open door, and smiled serenely at the pleasant world outside
'Duke Radford was not deaf, but they always raised their voices when speaking to him, in order to attract his attention He see hiht back to the realities of life At the sound of his daughter's voice he looked round, and, seeing a stranger in the room, at once rose and calad to see you, sir,” he said, in courteous greeting
Mr Selincourt was so surprised that he could not hide it He had expected to see a e all over hinified, courteous gentleuor of lad to see you looking so much better than I expected to find you,” Mr Selincourt said, taking the proffered hand and shaking it warer I have been ill, you know, and it has upset me in many ways; reat et For instance, I cannot remember, sir, whether I have heard your name or seen your face before;” and as he spoke, 'Duke Radford looked up istful uncertainty into the face of the ed so heavily
”My name you have heard, I dare say, but I do not suppose you have seen lishman, and I have only been in Canada for a year,” Mr Selincourt answered gently
Mrs Burton had left the rooht have said that her father was an Englishotten the fact himself, and after aup his scattered faculties, he asked:
”Do you think you are going to like Canada, sir?”
”I like it i in the country per which interests h to make me want to stay there But here there is soout for develop of it,” Mr Selincourt answered
'Duke Radford nodded his head in coour seemed to have returned to him, and for the moment the clouds were swept from his brain
”Canada is a fine country;” he said ”Even her waste places possess untold sources of wealth Take this place, for instance: there are fish enough in the rivers and the bay to feed a h to build a dozen towns, and construct a navy as well; yet it continues almost as solitary as when I cao”
”It is a great pity; but that may be altered with tied into talk about the resources of the ihbourhood, the possibilities of vast coalfields underlying the forest lands, of s
'Duke Radford came out of his absorption and talked as he had not done for o, after a couple of hours' sitting in the pleasant, ho sed hiain very soon
”Indeed I will, if Mrs Burton will lettalk she may refuse to allow me in,” Mr Selincourt replied
”Nellie won't do that My children are very good to h it is very hard on the on their hands like this But I hope you will co,” the invalid said; and rising to his feet he walked slowly into the sunshi+ne, supporting hiet into the waiting boat and be roay to the opposite bank of the river
When Katherine and Phil came down from Ochre Lake three hours later, the invalid was still out-of-doors, only noas seated on a bank in the shade of a spreading spruce, while the twins played round hiardens in patterns of pine needles
”Why, Father, it is pleasant to see you out-of-doors again, and I aood!” Katherine exclaie path, laden with a great reed basket filled with ptar!” he said with childish eagerness ”Mr Selincourt has been to see me, and I like him so very s, being so ether with an effort, she h her face was rather white: ”I a?”
”Yes, ever so long, and he is co a house I alad, for I think I never met a man whom I liked better,” he replied
”Then it is lucky that I pulled him out of the er about his share in rescuing Mr Selincourt ”But if he'd been a disagreeable aniht have been sorry that I had not left him there”
Katherine stood in a duht All theseof Mr Selincourt, because of its effect upon her father, and behold, it was the one thing which had brought him happiness!