ou probably wanted
and ought to have had. We could have let the mine go and worked for
somebody else."

Carrie laughed. "I don't know if you're nice or not. Anyhow, I had
the money; I'd been clerking for a time at the Woolsworth store and
they had given me a good job. Why shouldn't I send Jake the money I
didn't know how to spend?"

"You're exaggerating," Jim rejoined. "A pretty girl can always spend
money on hats and clothes. In fact, I think she ought."

"Now you're certainly nice, but we'll let it go. Your taking the money
made me a partner, and in the meantime the Bluebird is not for sale.
If you wait long enough, somebody will give you what the mine is worth."

"I think so. Copper's hard to smelt and when transport's expensive
speculators stick to gold, but things will be different now the
country's opening up. We will hold the patent until you are willing to
sell."

"Thank you," said Carrie. "It cost you something to prove the vein, up
there in the melting snow, and no greedy city man is going to get your
reward. However, we'll get on. If they give you the telegraph
contract, I'm going North."

Jim turned to his comrade. "She can't go! You had better tell her
it's impossible."

"I'll leave it to you. There's not much use in telling Carrie she
can't do a thing when she thinks she can."

Jim began a labored argument about the hardships and the ruggedness of
the country and Carrie listened with inscrutable calm. Then she said,
"You don't want me to go?"

"It isn't that. You don't know what you are up against."

"I have a notion," Carrie remarked with some dryness. "Perhaps you
imagine all goes smooth and I have a soft job here?"

Jim was silent. He was sometimes sorry for Carrie, but she resumed:
"You haven't lived in a shabby street, doing chores you don't like and
trying to please people who are often rude. Well, I've stood for it a
long time, for mother's sake; but now cousin Belle is coming, and she
knows all there is to know about keeping store. Do you think a girl
ought to be kept at home? That she never hears the call of adventure
like the rest of you?"

"Adventure palls. One soon gets enough," said Jim. Then he saw Jake's
smile and added: "After all, I don't know----"

"I know," said Carrie. "You are going back, and I am going too. But
you won't have to take care of me. I mean to manage things."

"She has some talent that way," Jake observed. "If you're not very