“What’s the matter—young fellow?” demanded the judge, who still held him.
“I didn’t finish my piece of cake!” wailed the child. He had dozed off at the table, before finishing his supper.
They all laughed, while Madam Lovemore consoled René by promising him another piece the next day. Then the young Wistmores inspected their home.
Partitions separated the cabin into three rooms: a large one, across one end, which was to do duty as a general living room, with a place for cooking at one end; and two small ones as sleeping quarters. The partitions and floors were painted a soft blue, which was relieved by the dark logs of the side walls and the beamed roof. Rag rugs lay upon the floor, a table occupied the centre of the living room, and around it were four ladder-back chairs. Beside the stone fireplace was a low wooden rocker and a high-backed upholstered one. Each bedroom had a fully furnished double wooden bed, and a wash stand. There was a bright fire in the fireplace; simple muslin curtains were hung at the windows; and a few pots of geraniums on a small stand added to the homelikeness of the place.
“But—the furniture—” began Desiré, when she was able to put her thoughts into words. Jack was still too dazed to speak.
“Gifts from the people of Wolfville to the children of the ancient Acadians,” replied the judge pompously.
“We can never repay them,” faltered Jack.
“Don’t want you to. They were glad—to do it. Liked idea—descendants to occupy old house—deserted for so long.”
“Such a welcome I never dreamed of,” murmured Desiré. “I don’t see why people are so kind to us.”
The judge and his good housekeeper exchanged smiles at her naive remark.
“Why, don’t you want them to be?” demanded Priscilla in astonishment.
“Of course,” answered her sister, attempting unsuccessfully to draw the child to her side; but Priscilla was too bent on inspecting article by article in her new home to have any time for cuddling just then.
“Now you folks—had better—get to bed,” said the judge, preparing for departure. “You’ve had a hard day—lots of excitement. I’ll lead the team back with me. Will they follow—the Ford—do you think?”
“I imagine so,” replied Jack. “They’re very gentle.”
He followed the judge outside to help him with the horses, while Madam Lovemore bade an affectionate goodnight to her new friends.
“Just run over any time anything bothers you, my dear,” she said to Desiré.
“’N’ not no other time?” asked René, fearful of such an agreement working to his disadvantage.
“Whenever you like—” began the housekeeper.
“Don’t tell him that,” advised Desiré, “or you may see him oftener than you wish.”
Meanwhile Jack was saying to the judge, “Of course I know that you are really the one to be thanked for all that,” waving his arm at the cozy, lighted cabin.
“Not at all,” asserted the man stoutly. “The neighbors all helped. Liked it. Lots of fun.”
“Yet they never would have known about us, or our needs, if you had not told them, and made suggestions. I just can’t express my very deep gratitude, especially on account of my little sisters. René can rough it, but I hate to have the girls deprived of ordinary comforts. Sometimes I wonder if I have done the right thing—”
“One always wonders that—no matter what one does. Go in, boy,—and send my housekeeper out. Want to get home.”
Housekeeping in the new home was a delight and a novelty, after the many weeks of camp life; and the Wistmores were very happy. Jack took Priscilla into Wolfville the second day after they arrived, and made arrangements for her to attend school, much to her chagrin, for she had hoped for a longer holiday.
“No sense in her running about for days, and missing something which will cause trouble for her later,” Jack had said, when discussing the matter with Desiré. “While it is still pleasant, she can walk back and forth morning and afternoon, and carry her lunch. In winter, we’ll try to make some different arrangements.”
After settling Priscilla, Jack consulted the judge about getting work for himself.
“See what I can do,” he promised; and while he was waiting, Jack helped Desiré with the lessons she was trying to do by herself.
The snow which had greeted them on their arrival disappeared almost immediately, and the beautiful days of Indian summer hovered over the valley of the Gaspereau. Jack and Desiré, sometimes accompanied by René, but oftener leaving him with his staunch admirer, Madam Lovemore, spent many hours rambling around the country after their work was done. It was a treat to both; for though they had much in common, they seldom had opportunities for private companionship, due to the constant demands of the younger members of the family.
After a week of idling, Jack made some trips through the nearby country with the wagon, but the day schedules were soon exhausted; and he began to be anxious about a different job. Some of the nearer neighbors began to drop in occasionally; so Desiré could not be his constant companion, and he grew restless.
“The people within a day’s drive are too near Wolfville for this to be a very good place for a store like ours,” he told Desiré when he returned one afternoon after a rather profitless day. “One does not sell enough to pay for expenses. So I guess we’ll decide to put up the wagon and team for the winter. In the spring, as soon as the roads permit, I’ll have to take it back to old Simon at Yarmouth.”
“Don’t you mean we’ll take it back, dear?” asked Desiré.
“Perhaps; we’ll see when the time comes. I hope the judge will be able to find a job for me pretty soon; my own efforts are fruitless.”
“Don’t worry; if we have to use up all of our little nest egg, we’ll do it; that’s all.”
Desiré spoke bravely, but she felt sad to see Jack’s prospects of continuing his education retreat so far into the background as almost to disappear. The succeeding days were anxious ones. Jack roamed about, restless and worried, not having enough with which to occupy himself; for the weather had changed, and outdoor rambles were over for that year.
One afternoon a heavy rain began to fall, and it looked as if it meant to continue indefinitely.
“Poor Prissy will get soaked,” said Desiré, gazing out of the window for the fifth time.
“I’ll go after her,” offered Jack.
“But what good would it do for you to get soaked, too?”
“None, I suppose. The poor kid ought to have a raincoat and an umbrella,” he muttered, half to himself.
“I’ve been thinking about clothes, Jack, and it seems to me that we’ll have to draw some of what we got for the farm—”
“But that’s in the bank at Yarmouth,” objected Jack quickly, “and you know we said it shouldn’t be touched except for sickness or other emergencies.”
“I know, but this is an emergency; isn’t it? If we don’t buy a few necessary articles of clothing, we’ll run the risk of sickness, and that would be far more expensive.”
“You’re right, of course. Make out a list of what we need, and then we’ll count the probable cost.”
“We’ll do it together,” said Desiré, getting pencil and paper, and sitting down at the table beside her brother.
They were so engrossed in their problem that they both jumped violently when there was a quick knock, and the judge stepped into the room, closely followed by Priscilla. René, who had been amusing himself