Part 29 (2/2)
”I believe I aain under the alance ”Everyone who has health and vigour, with an infinite capacity for enjoyment, should surely be envied by those not equally blessed, don't you think?”
Mary sighed ”I have health and vigour too I am not so sure about the infinite capacity for enjoyment; but I like work, and plenty of it Do you know, I thoroughly enjoyedwharf to help the men to count the take, then I entered it, wrote out the tokens, and worked as hard as if I were doing it for a weekly wage”
”Well?” There was gentle questioning in Katherine's tone, but no curiosity; happily there was need for none She could understand soive the sympathy, which was also better expressed without words
”It isn't well; that is the trouble of it,” Mary said wistfully ”The work is all very hile it lasts, but when it is done, one is tired, and there is nothing left but weariness andout the ; there is rest And when one is rested, really rested, the world is all new again for a ti now from her own experience, for that was how she had felt when her trouble was at its blackest
”I had forgotten rest; but then it won't always coain, for to-night her ed on the morbid
”Sometimes, but not often, when people are as healthy as we are,” Katherine replied with a laugh; then, slipping her hand through Mary's arm, with a persuasive touch she drew her hoet up and work in the ht, or suffer next day I ao over to Fort Garry with all those furs which your father did not buy”
”I too ood time, for I want to be at Seal Cove before ten o'clock, and that does not leaveduties,” Mary said, in a brighter tone, as the two caether
”Let Mr Selincourt keep house while you are so busy, or, better still, get Nellie to do what you want; she will be delighted,” urged Katherine, as disposed to the belief that Mary's ue
”Oh, Mrs Burton isbread for ; while, as everyone knows, my father spoils me all the time! But I like work, and just now I feel as if I could hardly have tooMr Ferrars stays away at the fishi+ng at the Twins,” Mary said Then, bidding Katherine good night at the foot of the hill, she got into her boat and was rowed across the river
Katherine shook her head a little doubtfully as she went indoors; for in her heart she did not echo the other's last words
CHAPTER XXVI
Fighting the Stor fine weather that the next reeable surprise to Katherine The sun shone with a pale, watery glea wind crept through the pine trees, e of the alders at the foot of the rapids
”Phil, we shall have to be quick thishoht across the bay,” Katherine said, as she piled bundles of pelts into the boat, and tied over them a canvas sheet, for security from any chance wave
”Oh, we can hustle, and very likely the storht!” Phil said easily
”More likely that it will break before noon,” retorted Miles, as helping to bring out the pelts froo to-day, Katherine; it is fearful work crossing fro north-east wind I caht we must have been swamped every hed Katherine, ”I shall not atteh; I shall skirt the shore all the way It is miles farther, of course, but it is safe, and that is the , or that I could come with you,” Miles said in a worried tone ”Look here; couldn't Phil e the store for one day with Nellie's help, then ould take an extra pair of oars, and I would help to row?”
Katherine shook her head ”It is not to be thought of, dear I expect some of those Indians froe to-day; then Wise Eye is in the neighbourhood, I know, and if he asdown river in a boat he would fairly haunt the store until we ca time of it”
”That Nackowasset lot are a horrible set of thieves,” said Miles
”Yes, and neither Phil nor Nellie would be up to all their tricks; so, you see, you will be quite indispensable I shall get on very well; don't worry about me in any case, for if the storm should prove terrifically bad we could even stay at Fort Garry all night,” Katherine replied
The last pelt was tucked away under the canvas sheet, Phil scrambled aboard and crouched down in the most convenient place he could find, and Katherine nodded a bright farewell to Miles, who lingered on the bank with a very dissatisfied look on his face; then the boat an to slip quickly down river At present they felt little or nothing of the wind, but when the hut of Oily Dave was in line with the puffs of wind on their progress, and Katherine decided to take a middle course across the open water to the fort; that is, she would not venture so far out as usual, nor would she hug the shore entirely
But although the wind cait so ain, and was glad that she had persevered in her undertaking; for she was anxious to get the furs off her hands Every place at the store was so crowded now, from the shi+pments which had recently coet these bundles of pelts cleared out of the way
”Oily Dave's hotel is closed, so I suppose the proprietor has cleared off out to the fishi+ng,” Phil said, as the little brown hut on the left shore slid by, and they began to rock on the open water of the river's mouth
”I expect he has,” replied Katherine, as pulling with long, steady strokes, the exercise and the wind between thelow into her face ”Do you know, I am sure he has worked harder and more honestly this su to be a reformed character”