Part 19 (2/2)

”Did you pull him out of the mud? What mud?” asked 'Duke Radford in an interested tone, whereupon Phil pro and launched into a detailed account of the rescue of Mr Selincourt fro

But Katherine went on to the store with her head in a whirl; almost she was disposed to believe that dark story from her father's past to be only a dream, or some conjured-up vision of a diseased fancy-almost, but not quite Only too well she knew that it was the dread of Mr Selincourt's co which had induced her father's stroke, and noell, it was just the irony of fate, that what had been so terrible in perspective should bring such pleasure in reality

Jervis Ferrars caested that Katherine should go with him to Ochre Lake, as he had some business at the Indian encampment, and wanted a companion

”But I have been to Ochre Lake once to-day; Phil and I went this s in one basket, and had to carry the

”Never mind; another journey in the same direction won't hurt you, because I will do the work,” he answered ”I want to borrow your boat, don't you see? and of course it lessens a little my burden of indebtedness if you are there too”

”I shall also be useful in getting the boat over the portage,” laughed Katherine, then ran away to get ready There was really nothing to keep her at the store this evening, and so few pleasures came her way that it would have been foolish to refuse

”Nellie, I a to Ochre Lake with Mr Ferrars Do youfrock and clothed herself anew

”No, dear, of course I don't Good-bye! I hope you will have a pleasant time,” said Mrs Burton, then kissed her sister affectionately

Katherine was a little surprised Mrs Burton was not given to over-, and so the kiss was out of the ordinary But then the evening was out of the ordinary too As a rule she hurried along the portage path, laden with burdens as heavy as she could carry To-night she sauntered at a leisurely pace with no burdens at all; even the cares of the day were thrust into the background for the hthearted and happy It was pleasant, too, to sit at ease while Jervis pulled the boat up river with long, swinging strokes that never suggested tired arms in even the remotest connection; and if they did not talk estive of silence They had passed the second portage, and waved a greeting to Mrs M'Kree, as sitting at ease in her garden while Astor lounged beside her Then Jervis began to talk about hi but little interest for hi to e to think we shall have a post out fro slower now, as if he were tired of violent exercise, and desired to take things easy

”How glad your et the letters!” exclai how the poor wo of the past weeks

”It has been hard on her, poor little Mother!” he said softly, then went on with a hardness in his tone that grated on the ears of the listener: ”Feoreater contrasts in life than ht up in the purple, a s, but for the last six years she has lived in a four-roo”

”Oh, how hard for her!” exclaimed Katherine

”It was hard, poor Mother!” Jervis said, and his voice grew so tender that the listener understood the previous hardness must have been meant for someone else He was silent for so slowly up the river, kept his eyes fixed on the water which was gliding past

Katherine sat with her gaze fixed on the treetops, whilst her fancies were busy with the poor lady who had fallen fro the work of a washerwoman

”I was to have been a doctor,” Jervis said abruptly, taking up the talk just where he had dropped it ”We were very poor, so I had workedI was very keen on study, for I meant to make a name for myself I believe I should have done too, but--”

He broke off suddenly, and, after a pause, Katherine ventured gently: ”Don't you think it is the 'buts' which really hty difference in our outlook,” he admitted with a smile ”The particular 'but' which stopped my medical studies, and drove me into the first situation where I could earn money was the death of my father, and the consequent cessation of the incorandfather's will We had been poor before; after that ere destitute”

Katherine nodded sympathetically Her life had been hard, and there was plenty of rough work in it, but she had never been within seeing distance of destitution, and she had plenty of pity for those whose lives had been fuller of care than her own

”I tried keeping near home first,” went on Jervis; ”but it was of no use There was no rooet to do was a s a week Just think of it! Twelve shi+llings a week, and there were four of us to live! I bore it for six months, and then I cleared out My next brother, who is four years younger, got hich brought in enough to buy his food, and I haveto help to keep est boy, who is still at school”

”Perhaps the necessity to do your utood for you,” Katherine ventured demurely

”I think it has,” he answered with emphasis ”At any rate, I don't feel disposed to quarrel noith the destiny which has knocked e like this”

Katherine's face flamed scarlet, to her intense mortification What would this ed colour at every word he said?

But Jervis did not appear to notice her confusion, for which she was devoutly thankful, and in a reat difference tothis place The fisheries, properly worked, will yield a cent-per-cent interest on the outlay, and that is going to er merely, but I have a share in the profits also”