"Well," said Sadie, "I feel I"ve got to help put this trouble right, if I can." She paused and asked with some hesitation: "Will Steve be away long?"
"I don"t know," Helen answered dejectedly. "He hinted that he might not come until spring; I think he means to stop until he has earned enough to make him independent. That"s partly my fault--I said something rash.
If I hadn"t had more money than him, it wouldn"t have happened."
Sadie smiled. "My having more money won"t make trouble between me and Bob; he doesn"t mind how much I"ve got. But I suppose you want Steve back?"
"Of course! It"s all I want, but the matter is not as simple as it looks. I don"t think he will come back as long as he"s poor, and if he does, he won"t use my capital, and things will be as before. If he earns some money, I should feel hurt because he was obstinate and wouldn"t let me help. That"s why I don"t know what to do. I wish I"d never had the money!"
Sadie thought Helen had some ground she had not mentioned yet for her distress. Moreover, it looked as if she still felt she had a grievance against Festing, and their clashing ideas about the money did not altogether account for this.
"I guess you"re keeping something back."
Helen"s reserve had broken down. She was half ashamed because she had lost it, but she felt the need of sympathy, and Sadie could be trusted.
"He didn"t see, or didn"t mind, that his going away would bear out the wicked story!" she exclaimed with sparkling eyes. "I feel that was the worst."
"I don"t know that it looks quite as bad as you think. It"s a common thing for a farmer who has lost his crop to go off and work on a new railroad, particularly if he has teams the construction boss can use.
Anyhow, I guess the thing will come right, and I"ll help if I can. But I want to see my way before I move."
Helen did not answer, and soon afterwards Sadie left the homestead. She said nothing to Charnock about her visit, but started for the settlement next morning and informed herself about what had happened at the poolroom and what people thought. Then she drove home, and getting back at dusk, sat down opposite Charnock, who lounged in a basket chair with a pipe in his mouth. Her eyes twinkled with rather grim humor.
"You don"t look as if anything bothered you," she said.
"It"s possible," Charnock agreed. "I suppose I"m lucky because I have nothing much to bother about."
"You wouldn"t bother about it, anyhow. You leave that kind of thing to me."
Charnock gave her a quick glance. She was not angry, which was something of a relief, because Sadie was difficult when she let herself go.
Besides, he was not conscious of having done anything to vex her since he gave Wilkinson the cheque. But she looked resolute.
"I"ve a good excuse," he answered. "I"ve got a remarkably capable wife."
"We"ll cut out the compliments. I don"t think you have seen any of the boys from the settlement since Festing left."
Charnock said he had not done so, and she gave him a thoughtful look.
"I suppose you can"t remember when you last did something useful; something that would help somebody else?"
"It"s a painful confession, but I can"t remember. Still I"ve some experience of being helped along a way I didn"t want to go, which leads me to believe it"s often kinder to leave folks alone."
"Anyhow, you have done some harm."
"I"m afraid that"s true. I don"t know that I meant to do much harm, but it"s generally easier than doing good. For example, I"ve given you some trouble; but at the moment I can"t think of a new offense."
"You can quit joking and put down that newspaper. It looks as if you didn"t know why Festing left?"
Charnock said he could not guess, and got up abruptly when Sadie told him. He kicked the newspaper out of his way and crossed the floor with angry strides. His face was red when he stopped in front of his wife.
"You don"t believe the lying tale!"
"No," said Sadie, calmly. "If I had believed it, I wouldn"t have talked to you like this."
"Thank you! Now we have cleared the ground, I"m certainly going to do something. I"ll begin by driving over to Wilkinson"s to-morrow, and I"ll take a whip."
"Festing "tended to that matter before he left, and making another circus won"t help. Besides, Wilkinson has got to quit. You"ll see notices about his sale soon; I fixed that up."
Charnock laughed. "You"re a marvel, Sadie, but the brute deserves it.
Well, if I mustn"t thrash him, what"s your plan?"
"You"ll go to British Columbia and bring Festing back."
"I will, by George!" said Charnock. "We owe him and Helen much, and the job is obviously mine--by joining Festing I give Wilkinson the lie. You"re clever, and I expect you saw this. Anyhow, I"ll start; but Festing"s an obstinate fellow. Suppose he won"t come back?"
"He mayn"t at first. If so, you"ll have to wait."
Charnock turned away and walked about the floor while Sadie watched him, pleased but curious. Bob was rather hard to move, but he was moved now.
He came back, and sitting down, looked at her thoughtfully.
"I imagine you are giving me a bigger job than you know. If Festing has taken the railroad contract, he"ll probably stop until he had carried it out. Now I don"t imagine I"d find it amusing to loaf about and watch him work; for one thing, it"s pretty cold in the ranges after the snow comes."
"Well?" said Sadie.
Charnock leaned forward with an apologetic smile. "I"d like to take a share in the contract and help him through; that is, of course, if he won"t come back at once. But there"s a difficulty; I haven"t the cash."
"You want me to give you some?"
"Yes. I shouldn"t feel much surprised if you refused. I"ve squandered your money before, but this time I mean business. Can"t you see that I have, so to speak, got my chance at last?"
"I don"t quite see. You have had many chances."
"I have," Charnock agreed; but there was a new note in his voice and a look in his eyes that Sadie had not often seen. "I"ve been a fool, but perhaps it doesn"t follow that I"m incapable of change. However, let"s be practical. The crop is spoiled, we have no grain to haul in, and there"ll be nothing doing here while the snow is on the ground. Well, if Festing can get some of his money back, why can"t I? I"ve wasted yours long enough, and now, if I can"t bring him home, I"ll stop with him until we both make good."
"You mean that, Bob?"
"I do. Give me a chance to prove it."
Sadie got up, and putting her hands on his shoulders, kissed him. "Very well. You shall have all the money you want."
Then she went back to her chair and turned her head. She had borne with her husband"s follies and fought hard for him, sometimes with hope and sometimes in desperation, but always with unflinching courage. Now it looked as if she had won. Victory was insecure yet, and there was a risk that it might turn to defeat, but Sadie never shrank from a daring venture. For a moment she could not speak; her heart was full.
"Hallo!" said Charnock, who got up and came towards her. "Crying, Sadie?
Will you miss me as much as that?"
Sadie hastily wiped her eyes. "Yes, Bob; I"ll miss you all the time. But if you"ll come back the man you are now, I"ll wait as long as you like."
"I"ll try," said Charnock simply. "I"m not going to protest, but you deserve a much better husband than you"ve got. If I can"t come back better fit to live with you, I won"t come back at all."
"I wouldn"t like that," Sadie answered, smiling uncertainly. "But I guess I know what you mean. I"ll wait, dear, because I know you are going to make good."