Kate thought intently a second.  Instead of beginning with leaving Friday morning:  “I was at the Court House in Hartley this morning,” she said.

“You needn’t have done that,” he scoffed.  “I spent most of the day there Monday.  You bet folks shelled out the books when I told them who I was, and what I was after.  I must say you folks have some little reason to be high and mighty.  You sure have got the dough.  No wonder the old man hung on to his deeds himself.  He wasn’t so far from a King, all right, all right.”

“You mean you left your work Monday, and went to the Court House in Hartley and told who you were, and spent the day nosing into my father’s affairs, before his sons had done anything, or you had any idea what was to be done?” she demanded.

“Oh, you needn’t get so high and mighty,” he said.  “I propose to know just where I am, about this.  I propose to have just what is coming to me —­ to you, to the last penny, and no Bates man will manage the affair, either.”

Suddenly Kate leaned forward.

“I foresee that you’ve fixed yourself up for a big disappointment,” she said.  “My mother and her eldest son will settle my father’s estate; and when it is settled I shall have exactly what the other girls have.  Then if I still think it is wise, I shall at once go to work building the mill.  Everything must be shaved to the last cent, must be done with the closest economy, I must come out of this with enough left to provide us a comfortable home.”

“Do that from the first profits of the mill,” he suggested.

“I’m no good at ‘counting chickens before they’re hatched,’” said Kate.  “Besides, the first profits from the mill, as you very well know, if you would ever stop to think, must go to pay for logs to work on, and there must always be a good balance for that purpose.  No.  I reserve enough from my money to fix the home I want; but I shall wait to do it until the mill is working, so I can give all my attention to it, while you are out looking up timber.”

“Of course I can do all of it perfectly well,” he said.  “And it’s a man’s business.  You’ll make me look like fifty cents if you get out among men and go to doing a thing no woman in this part of the country ever did.  Why, it will look like you didn’t trust me!”

“I can’t help how it will look,” said Kate.  “This is my last and only dollar; if I lose it, I am out for life; I shall take no risk.  I’ve no confidence in your business ability, and you know it.  It need not hurt your pride a particle to say that we are partners; that I’m going to build the mill, while you’re going to bring in the timber.  It’s the only way I shall touch the proposition.  I will give you two hundred dollars for the deed and abstract of the ravine.  I’ll give your mother eight hundred for the lot and house, which is two hundred more than it is worth.  I’ll lay away enough to rebuild and refurnish it, and with the remainder I’ll build the dam, bridge, and mill, just as quickly as it can be done.  As soon as I get my money, we’ll buy timber for the mill and get it sawed and dried this winter.  We can be all done and running by next June.”