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."

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, a