from an expressed desire that Alec
should be given a salaried appointment in the work of the post during
his mother's lifetime, and that at her death the boy should inherit,
unconditionally, her share of the business, and the making of a
monetary provision for his daughter, Jessie, the disposal of his
worldly goods was quite unconditional.

Father Jose had known the contents of the will beforehand. In fact, he
had helped his old friend in his decisions. Nor had Alec's position
been decided upon without his advice. These two men understood the boy
too well to chance helping to spoil his life by an ample, unearned
provision. They knew the weak streak in his character, and had decided
to give him a chance, by the process of time, to obtain that balance
which might befit him for the responsibility of a big commercial
enterprise.

When Murray learned the position of affairs he offered no comment.
Without demur he concurred in every proposition set before him by
Father Jose. He rendered the little man every assistance in his power
in the work which had been so suddenly thrust upon his shoulders.

So it was that more than one-half of the winter was passed in delving
into the accounts of the enterprise Allan and his partner had built up,
while the other, the second half, was spent by Mrs. Mowbray and Father
Jose at Leaping Horse, where the ponderous legal machinery was set in
motion for the final settlement of the estate.

For Father Jose the work was not without its compensations. His grief
at Allan's dreadful end had been almost overwhelming, and the work in
which he found himself involved had come as a help at the moment it was
most needed. Then there was Ailsa, and Jessie, and Alec. His work
helped to keep him from becoming a daily witness of their terrible
distress. Furthermore, there were surprises for him in the pages of
the great ledgers at the Fort. Surprises of such a nature that he
began to wonder if he were still living in the days of miracles, or if
he were simply the victim of hallucination.

He found that Allan was rich, rich beyond his most exaggerated dreams.
He found that this obscure fur post carried on a wealth of trade which
might have been the envy of a corporation a hundred times its size. He
found that for years a stream of wealth had been pouring into the
coffers at the post in an ever-growing tide. He found that
seven-tenths of it was Allan's, and that Murray McTavish considered
hims