Part 34 (1/2)

The Indians had remained there all the winter, so they said, because there was such an abundance of fish for food Their winter quarters consisted of holes, about four feet deep, dug in the earth, roofed over with spruce branches heaped with snow Fires were kindled in these lairs, and the people rarely came out save when driven to it by the necessity to catch fish for food

The day Katherine and Miles went to the encaloriously fine, and for the first time that year the sun had real warmth in it This had induced soht, who perhaps had not been outside the holes for weeks There was quite a crowd of children visible, and Katherine, whose heart alarmed to the pitiable little objects, with their mournful black eyes, produced a packet of sweets, which speedily brought a swar the sweets out with strict i, for the Indians were not given to education or culture in any shape or for upon it

With a sign to Miles to keep the elders busy, Katherine proceeded to bribe the child to give up his dirty frag, which still had some sweets in it

When this was done, she told Miles to cut the business short, and then they started for holove, and did not venture to look at it until they were miles away from the lake, because she did not wish the Indians to know that her curiosity had been aroused But when the dogs had dropped into a walk, and were co slowly up the hill at solove and proceeded to exament

It was part of a letter, and directly she saw it she recognized the handwriting as that of Mrs Ferrars, the mother of Jervis He had shown her soular, delicate handwriting The paper was only written on on one side, and only two lines of the writing were legible:

”-is very ill; you may be sent for now at any timent with a very puzzled expression There were three ways of explaining the presence of that bit of paper at the encaht have been stolen from Jervis by the Indians, when they ca up froing by other Indians; or they s ht have been found afterwards, and appropriated as justifiable treasure trove

Katherine said nothing of all this to Miles; she wanted to speak to Jervis about it first, for, of course, it ht be only part of an old letter that he had lost, and of no importance at all to anyone else If this were proved to be the case she would be greatly relieved A whole host ofthe words: ”You o ahat a blank it would ain, but the dreary h

She did not see Jervis that day until evening He caht school was over Then all the fa-room the house contained, which left little chance for private conversation of any kind; the boys went away to bed after a ti their father with theirls to bed, and the lovers were alone for the brief half-hour which was all the tiet for uninterrupted talk on ment, stated how she had discovered it, and asked a little shyly if it were part of an old letter, or a bit of one he had never received

”I have never had it, of that I arave look on his face

”Then who is ill? Is it one of your brothers?” she asked, with a painful throb at her heart; for so in his looks and his expression o

”No, George and Fred are hard as nails; nothing is likely to ail the home I expect it is Cousin Samuel who is ill,” Jervis answered, with a curious hesitancy of manner and a sort of constraint which h she held her head high and looked prouder than ever

”What will you do?” she asked, and her tone was breathless, despite her efforts to make her voice have merely a casual sound

”If Cousin Saland, I suppose He is the well-to-do member of our family, and his death would mean business affairs to look after,” Jervis answered, as he surveyed the scrap of paper, turning it over and over, as if to see if there were anything on it that ht have been missed

”Is he your cousin or your father's?” she asked ”Neither; he is randfather's first cousin, a hard, cruel old man, with not an ounce of charity, nor even ordinary kind-heartedness, in his whole composition,” Jervis answered in a hard tone ”I asked his help for my mother when she was left a , but he turned a deaf ear to the plea, and left her to struggle on, to sink or swim as best she could”

”I see,” said Katherine, and noas her voice which was constrained Then she asked tiland, ill you have to start?”

”That will depend upon you; for of course I aoes without saying,” he answered, in awildly, only noas joy, and not sorrow, that caused the e a minister up here to marry us,” he went on; ”then we should be ready to start directly the waters are open, if need should arise”

”Wouldn't it be wiser to put off our wedding until you come back? It will cost you such a fearful lot to takethat she must take a coh the prospect of going with hiht

”No, no, sweetheart, I a her hand in a pressure that hurt her ”If I go to England I will take ed I will stay where I ahed ”It is all very well to be so positive, but I don't see how it is to be o over the river to live, because then I can always co out of her face, and leaving it with a troubled look; ”but it is quite another land”

”Nevertheless, it , with a smile: ”Don't be so conceited as to think the world can't turn round without your help in pushi+ng it Here comes Mrs Burton; let us ask her opinion”