the yards to Walden and the surrounding
country. She would see the dealers in Hartley and talk the business
over, so she would know she was not being cheated in freight rates when
she came to shipping. She stopped at Mrs. Holt's, laid a deed before
her for her signature, and offered her a check for eight hundred for
the Holt house and lot, which Mrs. Holt eagerly accepted. They
arranged to move immediately, as the children were missing school. She
had a deed with her for the ravine, which George signed in Walden, and
both documents were acknowledged; but she would not give him the money
until he had the horse and buggy he was to use, at the gate, in the
spring.

He wanted to start out buying at once, but that was going too far in
the future for Kate. While the stream was low, and the banks firm,
Kate built her dam, so that it would be ready for spring, put in the
abutments, and built the bridge. It was not a large dam, and not a big
bridge, but both were solid, well constructed, and would serve every
purpose. Then Kate set men hauling stone for the corner foundations.
She hoped to work up such a trade and buy so much and so wisely in the
summer that she could run all winter, so she was building a real mill
in the Bates way, which way included letting the foundations freeze and
settle over winter. That really was an interesting and a comfortable
winter.

Kate and George both watched the children's studies at night, worked
their plans finer in the daytime, and lived as cheaply and carefully as
they could. Everything was going well. George was doing his best to
promote the mill plan, to keep Kate satisfied at home, to steal out
after she slept, and keep himself satisfied in appetite, and some ready
money in his pockets, won at games of chance, at which he was an
expert, and at cards, which he handled like a master.

CHAPTER XIX

"AS A MAN SOWETH"

AT THE earliest possible moment in the spring, the building of the mill
began. It was scarcely well under way when the work was stopped by a
week of heavy rains. The water filled the ravine to dangerous height
and the roaring of the dam could be heard all over town. George talked
of it incessantly. He said it was the sweetest music his ears had ever
heard. Kate had to confess that she like the sound herself, but she
was fearful over saying much on the subject because she was so very
anxious about the stability of the dam. There was a day or two of fine