“Please don’t bother,” he said. “You see, I got some food at Whinnyates.”
“At Whinnyates? But why did you go to the farm?” Mrs. Carson asked.
“A fellow driving a car picked me up on the road. I helped unload some cattle-meal, and Tyson gave me supper. When the rain went off I took the path across the fell,” Kit replied, and thought he had told the others all they ought to know.
“Kit’s clothes support his statement,” Jasper remarked. “His habit is to undertake humorous adventures. Well, I don’t see Harry carrying cattle-meal.”
Kit turned his head. Evelyn and Ledward crossed the floor, and Kit thought her startled. Ledward’s smile was rather forced.
“Hello, Kit! I don’t know if we expected you, but your coming across was kind.”
Evelyn gave Kit her hand. Her skin was cold and her color had vanished. When others were about one controlled one’s emotions, but it did not look as if Evelyn’s were joyous. She said nothing, and Mrs. Carson remarked:
“We don’t yet know why you have come back, Kit, and I admit some curiosity. Although Evelyn told us you expected to get promoted at the Manitoba bridge, you soon went away. I hope you have not given up another post!”
Kit knew Mrs. Carson’s antagonism, and he got a hint of rather cruel satisfaction. Mrs. Haigh’s look was hard, and Evelyn’s was strange, but as a rule, when Kit was perplexed he indulged his freakish humor, and his mouth curved in a crooked smile.
“Since you know my habits, I expect you hope I was not dismissed,” he said. “On the whole, however, I think my not staying at the bridge was the proper plan. I went to the workshops, and after a time the company undertook to build some locomotive tanks. The tanks are large, and the cheap construction’s awkward; but at a shipyard one learns something about the obstacles the engineers were up against. Well, I mustn’t bore you. The company approved my suggestions, and when I put up an experimental tank they ordered me to build the lot. Since we were forced to wait for the material, I took a holiday.”