The services of Barton he could well dispense with, but those of Fellows, and Russell in addition, would be a serious depletion of his working staff, which it might be a work of time efficiently to replace.
He, however, felt he had done no more than was his duty. It was the correct thing to do. And he had no fears that he would come out all right in the end.
CHAPTER XXXI.
JOHN AND MARY.
"I will hereupon confess, I am in love."
Love's Labours Lost, Act I. sc. ii.
Barton's duties at the Ranch were of such a nature, that he was seldom to be seen in the neighbourhood of the house during the daytime; for the most part he was out on the prairie, attending to the cattle, of which Ranger had now a pretty considerable stock.
Mary Truman's attention was chiefly devoted to the dairy, which of late had quite outgrown the powers of Mrs. Ranger, and she was only too glad to avail herself of the assistance which Mary was very willing and quite competent to render.
The two had but few opportunities of seeing each other; and during the week which was to elapse, according to arrangement, before the reply he had asked her for was to be given, they had seen nor heard nothing of one another.
Mary had learned from Mrs. Ranger of the departure of Charles, and the circumstances which had brought that event about.
Whatever may have been her feelings for John, she had no sympathy with Charles, and felt, in common with others, no pang of regret when told he had gone.