Page:Caroline Lockhart--The Fighting Shepherdess.djvu/95

 the wind and it was by only a chance that I rode down into it. "She was in the bottom, huddled against a rock, and didn't see me until I was nearly on her. I thought she was sick — she looked terrible." "And was she?" "No — she was worried." "Naturally. Any woman would be who married Toomey." "About money." "Indeed." His tone and smile were ironic. Kate, a trifle disconcerted, continued: "He's had bad luck." "He's had the best opportunities of any man who's come into the country." "Anyway," she faltered, "they haven't a penny except when they sell something." He shrugged a shoulder, then asked teasingly : "Well — what were you thinking of doing about it? " "I said — I promised," she blurted it out bluntly, "that we'd loan them money." "What!" incredulously. " I did, Uncle Joe." He answered with a frown of annoyance: "You exceeded your authority, Katie." "But you will, won't you?" she pleaded. "You've never refused me anything that I really wanted badly, and I've never asked much, have I? " "No, girl, you haven't," he replied gently. " And there's hardly anything you could ask, within reason, that wouldn't be granted." "But they only need five hundred until he gets into something. You could let them have that, couldn't you?"