Mrs. Featherstone said nothing, but gave him a gentle, understanding
smile.
Then Featherstone made Foster relate his last meeting with Daly on the
train. Foster had no wish to harrow the listeners' feelings, but his
memory was strangely vivid and he pictured the scene with unconscious
dramatic power. They saw it all, as he had seen it; the background of
flitting trees and glimmering snow, the struggle on the rocking
platform, while the icy wind screamed past the car, and the dark figure
filling, for a moment, the gap in the rails. Then they felt his thrill
of horror when the gap was empty and Pete held up the torn necktie.
Foster concluded with Pete's terse statement, "He just stepped back."
"Into the dark!" said Alice softly and there was silence for the next
few moments.
"He made us suffer," Featherstone remarked. "But he had pluck and
boldly took the best way. It is not for us to judge him now."
Then Lawrence leaned forward with a flushed face. "In the beginning, I
made you suffer, and it might have been better if I had openly paid for
my fault. We'll let that go; but there's something yet to be said."
He stopped and looked at the others with badly suppressed emotion.
"That I have escaped a fate like Daly's is due to the love and trust
that was given me in spite of my offense, and my partner's unselfish
loyalty."
Mrs. Featherstone looked at him with gentle approval and her husband
said, "Lawrence has taken a very proper line; but I think this matter
need not be spoken of again."
It was a relief to talk about something else, and by and by the party
broke up. An hour or two later, Foster, who wanted to send his foreman
some instructions, met Lucy in a passage as he was going to the
writing-room. She stopped him and said, "I haven't thanked you, Jake;
you were careful not to give me an opportunity, but you have banished a
haunting fear I couldn't get rid of. You know what I mean--Lawrence
told me his story. Now he is safe."
She stopped Foster, who began to murmur something. "This is not all I
want to say. I am not the only person who loves Lawrence and owes you
much. Don't be too modest; urge your claim."
Foster would not pretend he did not understand and looked at her
steadily. "If I made a claim on such grounds, I should deserve to have
it refused."
"Then choose better grounds, Jake; I think they can be found," Lucy
answered with a smile. "But show what you want. You can't expect to
have it offered, for you to pick up."
She went away, leaving him in a thoughtful mood, though his heart beat.
Lucy was clever and would not have given him such a hint unless she
thought it was justified. Still, she might be mistaken and he feared
to risk too much; then there were other difficulties--he was not rich.
He went to the writing-room, knitting his brows, and stopped abruptly
when he found Alice there alone. She put aside a half-finished letter,
as if she did not want him to go away, and he advanced to the table and
stood looking down at her.
"I did not send the telegram stating that I had found Lawrence."
"No," she said, smiling, "I know you didn't. But why do you wish to
explain this?"
Foster hesitated. "To begin with, it must have looked as if I wanted
to boast about keeping my promise and hint that you owed me something."
"But you were glad you were able to keep your promise?"
"I was," said Foster; "very glad, indeed."
Alice gave him a quick glance that thrilled him strangely. "So
Lawrence said for you what you would have liked to say yourself? One
would imagine he knew your feelings."
"Yes," said Foster steadily, "I didn't tell him, but I think he did
know."
He stopped and Alice looked down at the table for a moment. Then she
looked up again and met his fixed gaze.
"After all, you would have liked to have my gratitude?"
There was something in her face that stirred his blood, and forgetting
his drawbacks he made a reckless plunge.
"I wanted it tremendously, but it wasn't enough."
"Not enough! Aren't you rather hard to satisfy?" she asked with a hint
of pride that deceived but did not stop him.
"I'm afraid I'm very rash," he answered quietly. "You see, I wanted
your love; I wanted you. But I was afraid to ask."
She looked at him in a way he did not understand, although her manner
enforced a curious restraint.
"Now I wonder why?"
"You're so beautiful! I durstn't hope you'd come down to my level.
I'd nothing to offer."
"You have unselfishness, loyalty, and unflinching steadfastness. Are
these nothing?"
Foster felt embarrassed, but the sense of restraint was stronger.
Alice had somehow imposed it and he must wait until she took it away.
He thought she wanted him to finish.
"Then I knew my disadvantages. In many ways, Canada is a hard country,
and I'm poor."
"Did you think that would count for very much? We are not rich at the
Garth."
"I seemed to know that if by any chance you loved me, you would not
flinch. But there were other things; your upbringing and traditions.
I couldn't hope your parents would agree."
Then Alice got up with a quiet grace he thought stately and stood
facing him. There was a strange new softness in her eyes that had yet
a hint of pride.
"I don't think I am undutiful, but it is my right to choose my husband
for myself." She paused and his heart beat fast as he waited until she
resumed: "The evening I came to the orchard I had chosen you."
He held out his hands with a low cry of triumph and she came to him.
Next morning Foster saw Featherstone, who listened without surprise,
and then remarked: "It would perhaps have been better if you had come
to me before the matter went so far; but I can't lay much stress on
this. The times are changing."
"I couldn't, sir. You see, until last night----"
Featherstone nodded. "Yes, of course! But all that's done with. I
can't understand how the absurd notion came into my mind."
"Things did look suspicious," said Foster, smiling.
"Well," resumed Featherstone, "except for that ridiculous interval, I
liked you from the beginning, as did my wife. Besides, it would be
very hard for either of us to refuse you anything, and if Alice is
satisfied--But there's another consideration; I understand from
Lawrence that your business is not large, and although Miss Stephen
wants him to extend it, this won't augment your share. Well, you
understand why I must ask you to wait a year, until we see how you get
on."
Foster, having succeeded better than he expected, thanked him and
agreed, and a few days later returned to the Crossing. The
Featherstones were coming to stay there for a time, and business
demanded his attention. He had long worked hard, but had now an object
that spurred him to almost savage activity. He resented the loss of
time when Walters was brought to trial and he had to attend the court.
The man was sentenced for robbery, and Foster's evidence, although
objected to by the defense, sufficed to prove that Fred Hulton had no
complicity in the theft.
A few weeks later, when Featherstone and his family were at the
Crossing, Hulton sent for Foster.
"I suppose you won't want to sell the mill?" he asked.
"No," said Foster. "Business looks like booming and our chances are
pretty good."
Hulton made a sign of agreement. "That's so. I reckon you could do a
bigger trade than you have the money to handle. However, I guess you
and Featherstone mean to continue the partnership?"
"Yes," said Foster, quietly, "we stick together."
"Although he is going to marry a lady who will invest some money in the
business? If your friendship stands that test, it must be pretty
sound. But I'd better state why I sent for you. Our trade is growing
fast, and there's a risk of our running short of half-worked material.
Well, if you won't sell your mill, you must enlarge it on a scale that
will enable you to keep us going, besides coping with your other
orders. I'm open to supply the capital, and have thought out a rough
proposition. Give him the paper, Percival."
The treasurer did so, and Foster studied the terms with keen
satisfaction.
"If there's anything you don't agree to, you can indicate it," Hulton
remarked.
Foster hesitated. "It's a very fair and liberal offer. But I wouldn't
like to take it, so to speak, as a reward. You see, I didn't------"
"Expect anything from me," Hulton suggested with dry amusement. "You
were acting for Featherstone, but were willing to do me a favor!
Anyhow, you can regard the thing as a plain business proposition. I
get a number of advantages, besides good interest."
"Then I'll accept the main terms now, because I can promise for
Featherstone," Foster replied. "If any alteration's needed, we can
talk about it afterwards."
He left the office with a thrill of satisfaction. With Hulton's help,
he and Lawrence could extend their operations and control a very
profitable trade. Featherstone had told him he must wait a year, but
by this stroke of luck he had made good when only a month had gone.
Still, it was characteristic that he finished his day's work before he
went to the hotel where the others were staying.
Featherstone frankly expressed his pleasure at the news, and afterwards
Foster and Alice went out and stopped at the bridge on the outskirts of
the town. There was a moon in the clear sky and the night was calm.
The snow was crisp, but patches of uncovered wood showed where it had
melted off the bridge, and the southern slope of the river bank was
nearly bare. In the stream, fissured ice drifted down a wide, dark
channel; one felt that spring was coming.
Behind the town, somber pines rolled back across the rocky wilderness;
in the foreground, dazzling arc-lamps flung their blue reflections on
the ice, and the lights of the Hulton factory ran far up in gleaming
rows. Civilization had reached the spot and stopped for a time. The
scene held harsh contrasts between man's noisy activities and the
silent austerity of the wilds.
"It's a grim country," Foster said. "But one gets fond of it."
Alice put her hand in his. "I think I shall love it; I'm not afraid,
Jake. There's something in the clear air and sunshine that makes one
brave. Then it's virgin country; waiting for you and the others to
make good use of."
Foster nodded. "Something of a responsibility! Our efforts are crude
yet and the signs of our progress far from beautiful, but we'll do
better by and by. Well, I'm glad you're not daunted, though I don't
think I really feared that." He paused for a moment with a smile of
deep content. "To-day has banished my last anxiety; I'm a wonderfully
lucky man!"
"Not altogether lucky, Jake, I think. Character counts for more than
fortune, and you really won success by the stubbornness you showed in
the Border bogs. It would have come sooner or later, if you hadn't met
Hulton."
"I'm doubtful," Foster answered. "What I meant to win was you; but in
a way, that's wrong. If you hadn't given yourself to me, it would have
been impossible. Well, it has been a day of triumph, and now, if you
are willing, we needn't wait very long."
Alice blushed and looked up with a shy smile. "When you want me, Jake,
I will be ready."