Mrs. Jernyngham's nursing him."

Pushing open the wire-mesh mosquito door, Prescott entered the building.
Its interior was shadowy and filled with cigar smoke; flies buzzed
everywhere, and the smell of warm resinous boards pervaded the rank
atmosphere. The place was destitute of floor covering or drapery, and the
passage Prescott walked down was sloppy with soap and water from a row of
wash-basins, near which hung one small wet towel. Ascending the stairs,
he entered a little and very scantily furnished room with walls of
uncovered pine. It contained a bed with a ragged quilt and a couple of
plain wooden chairs, in one of which a man leaned back. He was about
thirty years old and he roughly resembled Prescott, only that his face,
which was a rather handsome one, bore the stamp of indulgence. His
forehead was covered by a dirty bandage, there was dust on his clothes,
and Prescott thought he was not quite sober. In the other chair sat a
young woman with fine dark eyes and glossy black hair, whose appearance
would have been prepossessing had it not been spoiled by her
slatternliness and cheap finery. She smiled at the visitor as he walked
in.

"If you'd come sooner, we might have kep' him out o' trouble," she said.
"He got away from me when things begun to hum."

Her slight accent suggested the French Canadian strain, though Prescott
imagined that there was a trace of Indian blood in her. Her manners were
unfinished, her character was primitive, but Prescott thought she was as
good a consort as Jernyngham deserved. The latter had a small wheat farm
lying back on the prairie, but his erratic temperament prevented his
successfully working it. Prescott was not a censorious person, and he had
a liking and some pity for the man.

"Well," he said, in answer to the woman's remark, "that was certainly
foolish of him. But what had he to do with the row, anyway?"

"Have a drink, and I'll try to explain," said Jernyngham. "A big cool
drink might clear my head, and I feel it needs it."

"You kin have soda, but nothin' else!" the woman broke in. "I'll send it
up; and now that I kin leave you, I'm goin' to the store." She turned to
Prescott. "Nothin' but soda; and see he don't git out!"

She left them and Jernyngham laughed.

"Ellice's a good sort; I sometimes wonder how she puts up with me.
Anyhow, I'm glad you came, because I'm in what might be called a
dilemma."

As this was not a novelty to his companion, Prescott made no