A Daughter of the Land

Instead George put on his old clothing, crossed the bridge, and

worked all day with all his might trying to gather building

material out of the water, save debris from the dam, to clear the

village street. At noon he came over and got a drink, and a piece

of bread. At night he worked until he could see no longer, and

then ate some food from the cupboard and went to bed. He was up

and at work before daybreak in the morning, and for two weeks he

kept this up, until he had done much to repair the work of the

storm. The dam he almost rebuilt himself, as soon as the water

lowered to normal again. Kate knew what he was trying to do, and

knew also that in a month he had the village pitying him, and

blaming her because he was working himself to death, and she was

allowing it.

She doggedly went on with her work; the contracts were made; she

was forced to. As the work neared completion, her faith in the

enterprise grew. She studied by the hour everything she could

find pertaining to the business. When the machinery began to

arrive, George frequently spoke about having timber ready to begin

work on, but he never really believed the thing which did happen,

would happen, until the first load of logs slowly crossed the

bridge and began unloading in the yards. A few questions elicited

from the driver the reply that he had sold the timber to young

Adam Bates of Bates Corners, who was out buying right and left and

paying cash on condition the seller did his own delivering.

George saw the scheme, and that it was good. Also the logs were

good, while the price was less than he hoped to pay for such

timber. His soul was filled with bitterness. The mill was his

scheme. He had planned it all. Those thieving Bates had stolen

his plan, and his location, and his home, and practically

separated him from his wife and children. It was his mill, and

all he was getting from it was to work with all his might, and not

a decent word from morning until night. That day instead of

working as before, he sat in the shade most of the time, and that

night instead of going to bed he went down town.

When the mill was almost finished Kate employed two men who lived

in Walden, but had been working in the Hartley mills for years.

They were honest men of much experience. Kate made the better of

them foreman, and consulted with him in every step of completing

the mill, and setting up the machinery. She watched everything

with sharp eyes, often making suggestions that were useful about

the placing of different parts as a woman would arrange them.

Some of these the men laughed at, some they were more than glad to

accept. When the engine was set up, the big saw in place, George

went to Kate.