fine lot o' martens an' th' silver foxes. Them'll pay Bob's debt an'
pay for th' maid's goin' too. That's what Bob were wantin'."

"Did Ed say now as Bob were gettin' all that fur?" she asked. "I were
feelin' so sore bad over Bob's goin' I were never hearin' un--I were
not thinkin' about th' lad's fur--I were thinkin' o' he."

"Aye, Ed were sayin' that. Emily must be ready t' go on th' cruise t'
meet th' first trip o' th' mail boat. Th' maid must be leavin' here
by th' last o' June," planned Douglas.

"But we'll not be havin' th' money then--not till th' men comes out,
an' then we has t' sell th' fur first t' get th' money," Mrs. Gray
explained. "Then--then I hopes th' maid may go. 'Tis what Bob were
goin' t' th' bush for--an' takin' all th' risks for--my poor lad--he
were countin' on un so----"

"We'll not be waitin'. We'll not be waitin'. _I_ has th' money now an'
th' maid must be goin' th' _first_ trip o' th' mail boat," said
Douglas, in an authoritative manner.

"Oh, Douglas, you be wonderful good--so wonderful good." And Mrs. Gray
began to cry.

"Now! Now!" exclaimed the soft-hearted old trapper, "'Tis nothin' t'
be cryin' about. What un cryin' for, now?"

"I'm--not--knowin'--only you be so good--an' I were wantin' so bad t'
have Emily go--I were wantin' so wonderful bad--an' 'twill save
she--'twill save she!"

"'Tis no kindness. 'Tis no kindness. 'Tis Bob's fur pays for un--no
kindness o' mine," he insisted.

Emily took Douglas' hand and drew him to her until she could reach his
face. Then with a palm on each cheek she kissed his lips, and with her
arms about his neck buried her face for a moment in his white beard.

"There! There!" he exclaimed when she had released him. "Now what un
makin' love t' me for?"

Richard returned that evening from his last trip over his trail for
the season, and he was much pleased with the arrangement as to Emily.

"Your daddy'll be lonesome wi'out un," said he, "but 'twill be fine t'
think o' my maid comin' back walkin' again--rare fine."

"An' 'twill be rare hard t' be goin'," she said. "I'm 'most wishin' I
weren't havin' t' go."

"But when you comes back, maid, you'll be well, an' think, now, how
happy that'll make un," Mrs. Gray encouraged. "Th' Lard's good t' be
providin' th' way. 'Twill be hard for un an' for us all, but th' Lard
always pays us for th' hard times an' th' sorrow He brings us, wi'
good times an' a rare lot o' happiness after, if we only waits wi'