could be a remote
possibility that her prediction of ill luck was about to be fulfilled.

CHAPTER VI

THE SHADOW

"But why must _you_ go, Tom?" Grace's tones rang with nervous dread.
"Can't some one else adjust matters satisfactorily?"

"No." Tom's reply was freighted with gloom. "I understand those men up
there and can get along better with them than a new superintendent
could. It wouldn't be worth while hiring one. Mr. Mackenzie isn't
dangerously ill. He'll be about again in two or three weeks. But it
needs some one who understands Aunt Rose's affairs to look after them
properly, even for that short period of time. If it weren't almost
tragic, it would be funny. Here I am bound heart and soul to the work of
preserving forests. Now duty calls me to handle a crowd of men whose
business it is to cut down forests. It isn't very pleasant to
contemplate. To me trees are almost as much alive as human beings. Worse
still, I hate to leave you, Grace. It's not so very long until the tenth
of September, either, and we've so many plans to carry out yet at Haven
Home."

"I know it." Grace's admission contained resignation. With duty thus
obstinately confronting Tom, she felt that she had no right to
discourage the performance of it. "I don't wish you to go," she
faltered, "but I can't help knowing that you are right. You owe it to
your aunt. She comes first. She's been both father and mother to you,
and I'm glad you are the one to help her now."

"Aunt Rose doesn't want me to go," returned Tom quickly. "She's afraid
something dreadful may happen to me. I don't anticipate any such thing.
I'm too good a woodsman to feel concerned about myself. After that
strenuous expedition to South America, this will be child's play. It's
leaving you that I don't like."

Grace did not reply for a moment. Secretly she, too, was echoing Mrs.
Gray's fears. With the day of their marriage so near, she could not bear
even to dwell on the dire possibility of any occurrence which might
wreck her Golden Summer. Bravely thrusting aside such a contingency she
said with grave sweetness: "I should be a pretty poor sort of comrade if
I were to fly in the face of your duty. It's hard, of course, Tom, but I
can say truthfully that I wish you to go. I shall try not to be sad over
it, or worry. After all, it's only for two or three weeks. One week of
that time I shall be at Elfreda's attending the Semper's reunion. As for
Haven Home, you attended t