"No, dear, I can't; I must get a little ahead with the wood while I can; it looks as if it would snow again, and Barby isn't provided for more than a day or two."
"And how for this fire?"
Hugh shook his head, and rose up to go forth into the kitchen. Fleda went too, linking her arm in his, and bearing affectionately upon it; a sort of tacit saying, that they would sink or swim together. Hugh understood it perfectly.
"I am very sorry you have to do it, dear Hugh; oh, that woodshed! If it had only been made "
"Never mind can't help it now we shall get through the winter by and by."
"Can't you get uncle Rolf to help you a little?" whispered
Fleda; "It would do him good."
But Hugh only shook his head.
"What are we going to do for dinner, Barby?" said Fleda, still holding Hugh there before the fire.
"Aint much choice," said Barby. "It would puzzle anybody to spell much more out of it than pork and ham. There's plenty of them. I sha'n't starve this some time."
"But we had ham yesterday, and pork the day before yesterday, and ham Monday," said Fleda. "There is plenty of vegetables, thanks to you and me, Hugh," she said, with a little reminding squeeze of his arm. "I could make soups nicely, if I had anything to make them of!"