"May I tell them I held the lamp while Adam got you out of the
water?" asked Polly. "That would be true, you know."
George turned to listen, his face still whiter.
"Yes, that would be true," said Kate, "but if you tell them that,
the first thing they will ask will be 'where was your father?'
What will you say then?"
"Why, we'll say that he was so drunk we couldn't wake him up,"
said Polly conclusively. "We pulled him, an' we shook him, an' we
yelled at him. Didn't we, Adam?"
"I was not drunk!" shouted George.
"Oh, yes, you were," said Adam. "You smelled all sour, like it
does at the saloon door!"
George made a rush at Adam. The boy spread his feet and put up
his hands, but never flinched or moved. Kate looking on felt
something in her heart that never had been there before. She
caught George's arm, as he reached the child.
"You go on to school, little folks," she said. "And for Mother's
sake try not to talk at all. If people question you, tell them to
ask Mother. I'd be so proud of you, if you would do that."
"I WILL, if you'll hold me and kiss me again like you did last
night when you got out of the water," said Polly.
"It is a bargain," said Kate. "How about you, Adam?"
"I will for THAT, too," said Adam, "but I'd like awful well to
tell how fast the water went, and how it poured and roared, while
I held the light, and you got across. Gee, if was awful, Mother!
So black, and so crashy, and so deep. I'd LIKE to tell!"
"But you WON'T if I ask you not to?" queried Kate.
"I will not," said Adam.
Kate went down on her knees again, she held out her arms and both
youngsters rushed to her. After they were gone, she and George
Holt looked at each other an instant, then Kate turned to her
work. He followed: "Kate -- " he began.
"No use!" said Kate. "If you go out and look at the highest water
mark, you can easily imagine what I had to face last night when I
had to cross the bridge to open the sluice-gate, or the bridge
would have gone, too. If the children had not wakened with the
storm, and hunted me, I'd have had to stay over there until
morning, if I could have clung to the tree that long. First they
rescued me; and then they rescued YOU, if you only but knew it.
By using part of the money I had saved for the house, I can rebuild
the dam; but I am done with you. We're partners no longer. Not
with business, money, or in any other way, will I ever trust you
again. Sit down there and eat your breakfast, and then leave my
sight."