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"There you're going to refuse; I was half afraid you would. But you will come won't you? Please, Mr. Holcomb!" She seated herself opposite him, resting her adorable little chin in her hands, her eyes again looking into his own. "I mean I'd rather your mother had asked me," he said, after a moment's hesitation. "I'm afraid Mrs. Thayor would be better pleased if I did not come, much as I'd like to."
"Wall, I'm sorry none of ye ain't dry," said Morrison. "No, thank you," replied Thayor; "we must be getting up to camp." Again the bays fell into a brisk trot. Alice was furious. "Who is that dreadful person, Sam?" she asked. "You must not mind him, Alice. He meant well enough," explained her husband. "Morrison's rough, I'll grant you, but he's a good fellow at heart."
There were four of these dainty tracks instead of two; soon the mystery was cleared as Alice Thayor passed ahead of him and Holcomb saw that Margaret's and her mother's footprint were identical in size. "You seem puzzled," Alice remarked, as Holcomb steadied her along a sunken log. "I was looking where you had stepped, Mrs. Thayor," he confessed. Alice laughed, a low, delicious laugh.
Oh, you need not go out of your head," she cried, noticing his sudden anger. Thayor sprang from his chair, all his anger in his face. "You'll do as I say!" he exclaimed, "and when my camp up at Big Shanty Brook is built you will come to it come to it as any self-respecting wife should out of your duty to me and to your daughter." "I will not!" she retorted, her breast heaving.
The "Mr." had been long since dropped from lack of usage. "Goll I hain't no idee," another would reply, "but I presume if the hull of it was dumped inter Otter Pond you'd find the water had riz consider'ble 'round the edge." During all this time Thayor had not once put in an appearance. He had left Holcomb, as he had promised, entirely in charge.
That's what worried me; I was afraid he would use it on me until the old dog lay down beside him." The trapper gazed at the hound long and earnestly as if to read his mind, and then he answered thoughtfully: "No he warn't none of our folks, Mr. Thayor one o' them gunners, I guess. They all know the old dog.
Morrison and his common hotel, with its blear-eyed windows, were now well out of sight. Presently the camp lay ahead of them an orderly settlement of trim buildings. Margaret was too excited to do more than gaze ahead of her with eager interest. "Here we are!" exclaimed Thayor. "There, Alice, you can thank Mr. Holcomb for all you see; I really had nothing to do with it." His wife did not reply.
'Sposin it had been your wife, or your leetle gal. You'd hev done the same's I done, wouldn't ye?" Thayor breathed heavily. "Wouldn't ye?" insisted Dinsmore. "He ruined her, body and soul he stole her, I tell ye; he warn't satisfied with that he got her to drinkin'. Wouldn't ye a-killed him, Mr. Thayor?" Thayor's eyes sought the shadows between the pines; for an instant he did not reply.
Now go back home all of you, and if I rebuild Big Shanty I'll send for you to help. Good-bye! and I turned on my tracks, picked up Mr. Dinsmore where he had hidden himself and started back. We really have been running away from our shadows " and Thayor laughed one of his hearty laughs that showed how greatly his mind was relieved. "And what kep' ye so long?" broke in the trapper.
She sat in the middle seat beside her daughter, haughtily gracious and inwardly bored. Margaret's enthusiasm irritated her. The woman going to her exile was in no mood to enthuse over nature. Holcomb drove, with Thayor on the front seat beside him; on the back seat sat Blakeman and Annette, in respectful silence.
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