Part 25 (2/2)
”But hoould you do it?” de lady, I believe there is a fortune in every acre of ground on either side of the river,” said Mr Selincourt excitedly ”Mary is keen on geology, as you know, and I have studied minerals pretty closely We have found abundant traces of iron, of copper, and of coal Now, the last is more important than the other two, for without it they would be practically useless, so far from civilization; but with it they e”
”Would not the working be rather costly at the first?” Katherine asked, with a sensation as if her breath were being taken away
”Doubtless! It has already been proved, over and over again, that if you want to get a fortune from under the earth you must first put a fortune in it,” he replied
”But suppose, after you had put it in, you found yourself disappointed in your returns-discovered, perhaps, that there was no fortune awaiting you in the ground after all? What would you do then?-for of course you could not get back what you had spent,” said Katherine, with an air of a a fortune in every acre of that barren ground sounded like fiction pure and simple
”In that case I should probably have to take offforto do it just yet,” he answered, laughing Then as a customer entered the store he went off to talk to 'Duke Radford, as sitting outside in the sun, and Katherine did not see hi
As in duty bound, she decided to take counsel with the others, although her own ard to Mr Selincourt's offer Life in some other more civilized place would probably be easier and pleasanter for herself Such work as she had to do noas labour for irls But it was not herself she had to think of first in this case; Miles and Phil were the ones to be considered here, and she deterarded the question should be the standpoint from which she would view it too By this time she was quite satisfied in her ownin a profitablefor the six ere dependent upon her efforts in some other way, she would not be so sure of herself, and to doubt et tiood fortune a chance occurred that very evening, and Katherine took it thankfully enough, knowing that it ain Her father had gone to bed, tired out with his day of sitting and walking in the sunshi+ne, and was sleeping peacefully The twins had also been put to rest, and were droning the duet hich they always filled the house before subsiding into their nightly sluo to bed for a few ot to have a fahty yaas turning his steps to the ladder which led to the loft
”What's a conclave? And it is no use going on at me about that bucket of water I tilted over down the ladder on to Nick Jones; it stood so handy, and wanted such a little push, that I just could not help doing it,” the boy answered in a sullen tone He had been infrom the captain and a lecture froh perhaps a trifle apprehensive of the forht choose to take
Katherine laughed She had been in e not to feel sympathy with him on the score of the prank he had played that afternoon It was this sa of their ave her soher to twist theer, as Miles expressed it
”A conclave is a talk, discussion, or argu into reat temptation, as you say, and I expect that in your place I should have longed to do the same Only there is another side from which to view the business, and that is the side of Nick Jones No doubt he feels a bit ruffled, and if he thrashes you for your impudence, or ducks you in the river, why, you will just have to take it lying down”
”He has got to catch er in which he delighted to indulge Then he burst out eagerly, as he slid his arainst her arhed until you choked if you had been there Nick was just setting his foot on the bottoes, so that he looked as if he had not washed for a fortnight; he had got his uess that was the firstwhile past”
”You are really a shocking boy, and if you get a ducking it will be only what you deserve,” said Katherine, as laughing at this picture of the discoet our business settled, because we are all tired and longing for bed”
”I' the book he had been reading with a sigh It always seeo to bed when he wanted to sit up, just as it was always et up when he was in the full enjoy in bed
”But you will be tired to-morrow, and no one who is weary can do the best that is in hiently
CHAPTER XXIII
The Majority Decides
To the surprise of Katherine, Mrs Burton was very anxious that Mr Selincourt's offer should be accepted, and she urged that point very strongly
”If you were a boy, Katherine, I would not say one word to influence you either way Even now it is for your sake, notaway from this place For myself, I would rather be here than at any other place in the orld; but I do know that you are hopelessly buried alive, and the work you have to do is unsuitable for any girl”
Katherine put up her hand with a pleading gesture, and there was distress in her eyes as she said hurriedly: ”That is not fair to the boys, Nellie I asked that you should all speak for yourselves, not for each other; that can be done afterwards: theis to knoe each feel about the matter personally Now, Miles, let us knohat you think?”
Miles fidgeted, looked supremely uncomfortable, and finally burst out: ”I think it is just horrid to go settling things like this about Father, as if he were dead, while he is still alive!”
”Just what I feelMiles an affectionate squeeze ”Still, dear, the necessity has arisen to discuss the business, and we reeables have to beFather entirely out of the question for the moment, tell us what you think you would like best”
”That can be done in a very feords,” he said gruffly ”I dare say it sounds beastly selfish, but I'd rather stay here than go anywhere else on the face of the earth The land is our ohy should we not keep it? We have got a good paying business together; why should we give it up? If we could pull through last winter and ht to do better still this year, for we are all wiser, older, and stronger It is fearfully hard on Katherine to be obliged to do the journeys, I know, but that can stop when I a pelts”
”Now, Phil, it is your turn,” said Katherine quickly; she had seen that Mrs Burton was about to speak, and was anxious that Phil should have first chance