ried mint, to make some
remedy for an unexpected attack of dyspepsia. It took exactly one
hour and ten minutes by the clock to find the carbonate of soda,
followed by ten minutes' active search for the mint. After this
experience Katherine decided that tidiness might be too dearly
bought, and set to work to re-arrange matters after a more
practical pattern.

But all this took time, and, with her other work added on,
effectually prevented her having time for moping, which was of
course a very good thing. She had not seen Jervis since the slow
walk from the rocks to Seal Cove; but she knew that he had spent
the next day in bed with a bad chill and some fever. Mary was at
Seal Cove for two days, but had been brought up river on the
previous evening, and was now being looked after by Mrs. Burton,
who was never quite so happy as when she had some invalid to care
for.

Miles and Phil had gone over to Fort Garry that morning. Katherine
ought to have gone, but in view of the confusion which still
existed on the shelves it hardly seemed safe to leave Miles in
charge, because he had a habit, when he could not find the right
thing, of supplying something else which looked almost like it. So
when Katherine found him tying up an ounce of caustic soda, in
place of the tartaric acid which had been ordered, it seemed high
time to interfere, and she had sent him off with Phil to do her
work, while she remained at home sorting out the contents of the
shelves.

Mrs. Burton had been over the river to look after Mary, and had
come back again, leaving Hero as a sort of deputy nurse and
caretaker, in addition to the portage man who was on duty that day.
Mr. Selincourt had been down to Seal Cove, and had returned; then
Katherine, at work on her knees in the far corner of the store,
heard someone enter, and, coming out of her corner, found that one
of the portage men had brought her a note from Mary. It ran:--

"Dear Katherine,
Can you come over and spend an hour with
me this evening when the store is closed? I feel that
I want to see you more than anyone else in the world.
Please come.
MARY."

"Miss Selincourt said that a message would do for answer," said the
man who had brought the note.

Katherine hesitated about what that answer should be. In her heart
of hearts she knew very well that she did not want to go away that
evening. Jervis had not been up the river for three days, so he
would b