e ravine was worth nothing, you were not even keeping up
the taxes on it until I came and urged you to, the dam is used merely
for water, the engine furnishes the real power, and if you are thrown
out, you have thrown yourself out. You have had every chance."

"You are going to keep your nephew on the buying job?" he asked

"I am," said Kate. "You can have no job that will give you a chance to
involve me financially."

"Then give me Milton's place. It's so easy a baby could do it, and the
wages you have promised him are scandalous," said George.

Kate laughed. "Oh, George," she said, "you can't mean that! Of all
your hare-brained ideas, that you could operate that saw, is the
wildest. Oh course you could start the engine, and set the saw
running--I could myself; but to regulate its speed, to control it with
judgment, you could no more do it than Polly. As for wages, Milton is
working for less than he got in Hartley, because he can be at home, and
save his hack fare, as you know."

George went over to Jim Milton, and after doing all he could see to do
and ordering Milton to do several things he thought might be done, he
said casually: "Of course I am BOSS around this shack, but this is new
to me. You fellows will have to tell me what to do until I get my
bearings. As soon as we get to running, I'll be yard-master, and
manage the selling and shipping. I'm good at figures, and that would
be the best place for me."

"You'll have to settle with Mrs. Holt about that," said Jim Milton.

"Of course," said George. "Isn't she a wonder? With my help, we'll
soon wipe the Hartley mills off the map, and be selling till Grand
Rapids will get her eye peeled. With you to run the machinery, me to
manage the sales, and her to keep the books, we got a combination to
beat the world."

"In the meantime," said Jim Milton dryly, "you might take that scoop
shovel and clean the shavings and blocks off this floor. Leave me some
before the engine to start the first fire, and shovel the rest into
that bin there where it's handy. It isn't safe to start with so much
loose, dry stuff lying around."

George went to work with the scoop shovel, but he watched every
movement Jim Milton made about the engine and machinery. Often he
dropped the shovel and stood studying things out for himself, and
asking questions. Not being sure of his position, Jim Milton answered
him patiently, and showed him all he wanted to know; but he const