United States or Slovakia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"You know you were. Is there a private quarrel between you, apart from the water matter?" "Not exactly. But it would come to that if we saw much of each other." "Then I hope you won't. It's embarrassing to others." "I'm awfully sorry. It was very bad form, of course. But somehow I couldn't help it." "Never mind. The McCraes are affected by this water trouble, aren't they?" "As much as I am.
"But I'll give you a fair field. I won't tell Sandy." Farwell, in spite of previous virtuous resolutions, remained for supper. The elder McCraes had not returned. The young people had the meal to themselves; and Sheila and Farwell had the conversation to themselves, for Sandy paid strict and confined attention to his food, and did not utter half a dozen words.
He was of the opinion that the McCraes, father and son, had no hand in the dynamiting; though he conceded that they could make an excellent guess at the perpetrators. But Farwell thought he could do that himself; he fixed the responsibility on Casey Dunne. The McCraes did not mention the dam, but Farwell had no hesitation in broaching the subject.
Why, girl, you've saved Talapus to the McCraes, and their ranches for the men who made them. We can't repay you; we won't try." "Excuse me," said Wade, who had anticipated his entrance by many preliminary noises, "excuse me, my dear young friends, and, incidentally, accept my sincerest congratulations, felicitations, and er jubilations. Kindly listen to the following observations. Ahem!
She had paused, at the point of her flight, to attempt, a little hopelessly, to make her impulse real to them. She spoke of the inflexible honor of the McCraes, of the great respect which had for generations attached to their name.
"Those McCraes," she said, "are very nice. Mr. McCrae is one of the real pioneers. He told us some of the most interesting things. How did you like Miss McCrae?" "I think she's a very nice, sensible girl. Good-looking, too." "H'm!" said Kitty Wade. "Yes, I think she is. Dresses nicely and simply. No imitation fine things. Shows the correct instinct.
Maybe she was going to marry Dunne. It looked like it. Anyway, it was none of his business. But the end of it was that he went to Talapus again. This time he found Sheila alone. The elder McCraes were gone to Coldstream in the buckboard. Young Alec was somewhere on the ditch. Sheila, flanked by clothesbasket and workbasket, sat on the veranda mending his shirts.
On the one hand he wished the McCraes well and had done all he could for them; on the other he was ruthlessly carrying out a project which would ruin them. Under these circumstances he looked for no more than tolerance. He now owned frankly to himself that he was in love with Sheila. He had made little progress with his wooing, nor did he expect to make more just then.
They had treated him decently, like a white man. He was under a certain obligation, and here was a chance to return it many thousandfold. Also it would show the McCrae girl that he was no common employee, but a man of influence. He thought he had pull enough. Yes, when he came to think about it, it was a shame that people like the McCraes should lose everything.
"Well, I give Casey credit for being a good man. He has a big stake here owns a lot of land besides his ranch. It's make or break with him." "Then I'm sorry for him. He had a girl with him McCrae her name is. Who's she?" "Her father owns Talapus Ranch. It's the biggest and best here. Good people, the McCraes." "And I suppose Dunne's going to marry her? Is that it?" "I never heard so.
Word Of The Day