After a week of idling, Jack made some trips through the nearby country with the wagon, but the day schedules were soon exhausted; and he began to be anxious about a different job. Some of the nearer neighbors began to drop in occasionally; so Desiré could not be his constant companion, and he grew restless.
"The people within a day's drive are too near Wolfville for this to be a very good place for a store like ours," he told Desiré when he returned one afternoon after a rather profitless day. "One does not sell enough to pay for expenses. So I guess we'll decide to put up the wagon and team for the winter. In the spring, as soon as the roads permit, I'll have to take it back to old Simon at Yarmouth."
"Don't you mean _we'll_ take it back, dear?" asked Desiré.
"Perhaps; we'll see when the time comes. I hope the judge will be able to find a job for me pretty soon; my own efforts are fruitless."
"Don't worry; if we have to use up all of our little nest egg, we'll do it; that's all."
Desiré spoke bravely, but she felt sad to see Jack's prospects of continuing his education retreat so far into the background as almost to disappear. The succeeding days were anxious ones. Jack roamed about, restless and worried, not having enough with which to occupy himself; for the weather had changed, and outdoor rambles were over for that year.
One afternoon a heavy rain began to fall, and it looked as if it meant to continue indefinitely.
"Poor Prissy will get soaked," said Desiré, gazing out of the window for the fifth time.
"But what good would it do for you to get soaked, too?"
"None, I suppose. The poor kid ought to have a raincoat and an umbrella," he muttered, half to himself.
"I've been thinking about clothes, Jack, and it seems to me that we'll have to draw some of what we got for the farm--"
"But that's in the bank at Yarmouth," objected Jack quickly, "and you know we said it shouldn't be touched except for sickness or other emergencies."
"I know, but this is an emergency; isn't it? If we don't buy a few necessary articles of clothing, we'll run the risk of sickness, and that would be far more expensive."
"You're right, of course. Make out a list of what we need, and then we'll count the probable cost."