because the work upon the ranch is getting too much for me."

Nellie Townshead said nothing, though she sighed as she pictured the
young lad, who had been stricken by rheumatic fever as a result of
toiling waist-deep in icy, water, lying uncared for in the mining camp
amidst the snows of Caribou. She did not, however, remind her father
that it was she who had in the meanwhile done most of the indispensable
work upon the ranch, and Townshead would not in any case have believed
her, for he had a fine capacity for deceiving himself.

In place of it she spread out some masculine garments about the stove
and coloured a trifle when her father glanced at her inquiringly. "The
creek must be running high and Mr. Alton and his partner will be very
wet," she said. "I am warming a few of Jack's old things for them.
They cannot go back to Somasco to-night, you know."

"I confess that it did not occur to me," said Townshead languidly.
"No, I suppose one could scarcely expect them to, and we shall have to
endure their company."

A faint sparkle that had nothing to do with laughter crept into the
girl's eyes, for there were times when her father tried her patience.
"I wonder if it occurred to you that we shall probably starve to-morrow
unless Mr. Alton, who is apparently not to be paid for it, makes what
must be a very arduous march to-night?" she said.

"I'm afraid it did not," said Townshead, with a fine unconcern. "I
think you understand, my dear, that I leave the commissariat to you,
and you have a way of putting things which jars upon one occasionally."