hing, but what he pay for," he
answered loftily; "but he drop his money here and come look for it,
just to find it lying close to rice bag, and now he find it he say
good morning and go."

Katherine laughed, for, angry as Wise Eye's depredations made her,
it was amusing to find him bowled out once in a while.

"Had the fellow really lost his money?" asked Mr. Selincourt,
coming out from his hiding-place very sticky on one side and very
floury on the other.

"He has none to lose except that one bad coin, which is his
greatest treasure, and which he has tendered in payment so often
that I am quite sick of the sight of the thing," Katherine replied.
"But he keeps the coin ready as an excuse, do you see? I guessed
he would try coming back, because you said that you had come to see
the furs, and he knows we do not keep those out here in the store."

"Well, he is a wily rogue! What are you going to do now?" asked
Mr. Selincourt, as she moved across to the door.

"Turn the key on him; it is the only thing to do. These Indians
are really a great trial; we have to keep such a sharp lookout
always. It is because of them that we never dare leave things
outside unless there is someone to watch."

"Your father is sitting out there in the sun," said Mr. Selincourt,
who could never seem to realize the extent of 'Duke Radford's
limitations.

"I know, but he would not understand, poor dear; he never notices
things like that," Katherine answered, with a mournful drop in her
voice, as she turned the key and led the way to the stockroom.

Mr. Selincourt followed silently, and when Katherine first began to
show him the furs he looked at them with an abstracted gaze, which
showed his thoughts to be far away. But his interest grew in the
beautiful things after a time, and he selected with a judgment and
discretion which showed that he knew very well what he was about.
When he had bought all that he required he turned away from them,
and began to talk of the matter which was uppermost in his mind.

"Well, have you come to any decision about disposing of your land?"
he asked.

"Yes," answered Katherine, who was busy rearranging the pelts which
Mr. Selincourt had rejected. "We had a family consultation, and
the majority settled the question, and decided that we did not want
to sell, and that we had not sufficient reason for selling even if
we had wanted it very much indeed. Our business is paying very
well, and there is no n