He smiled at her, his soul in his eyes. There was truth in his smile,
and she realized it.

After a moment, she put out a hand and pushed him gently from her. "Go
away, Carnac, please--now," she said softly.

A moment afterwards he was gone.




CHAPTER XVI

JOHN GRIER MAKES A JOURNEY

John Grier's business had beaten all past records. Tarboe was
everywhere: on the river, in the saw-mills, in the lumber-yards, in the
office. Health and strength and goodwill were with him, and he had the
confidence of all men in the lumber-world. It was rumoured that he was a
partner of John Grier, and it was a good thing for him as well as for the
business. He was no partner, however; he was on a salary with a bonus
percentage of the profits; but that increased his vigour.

There were times when he longed for the backwoods life; when the smell of
the pines and the firs and the juniper got into his nostrils; when he
heard, in imagination, the shouts of the river-men as they chopped down
the trees, sawed the boles into standard lengths, and plunged the big
timbers into the stream, or round the fire at night made call upon the
spirit of recreation. In imagination, he felt the timbers creaking and
straining under his feet; he smelt the rich soup from the cook's caboose;