t was bound to explain too. Her explanation was certainly
more poetic.

"It eez the way we show our love for the good Lord, Meester Shivershee.
What is more beautiful than the flowers? We take the flowers, and with
much love we place them upon the walls, and we make others happy with
them, and the good Lord, who loves us all, He is pleased,"--but here,
seeing the sobbing children and the frozen plants, she could not help
wiping her eyes upon her apron.

The little sufferer on the bed saw this action. Her voice was almost
gone. "Never mind, mamma," she whispered; but the beautiful eyes were
filled with tears, for she knew that mamma _would_ mind--that she could
not help it.

Pete listened to all this attentively. "Injun" that he was, of course he
could not understand it all, and yet he could hardly help seeing
something of the sorrow that the loss of the flowers had brought upon
the family. He finished his supper, and then slunk out at the door
again. Jeff followed him out.

"Little gal ever git well?" asked Pete.

"No; I don't s'pose she will," answered Jeff. "There ain't no hopes held
out fer her. Makes it kinder bad, ye see. Nice, clever little gal as
ever lived, too. Stop in an' git yer clo'es when ye come back, will ye?"

"All right," muttered Pete, as he trotted away toward the town.

* * * * *

I wonder what Pete was thinking about as he ran through the forest. An
"Injun's" thoughts on any ordinary subject cannot be very deep, yet when
one comes from such a scene as Pete had just witnessed, and when such
sad eyes as Marie's haunt one all along a lonely road, even an
"Injun's" thoughts must be worth noticing. Let us imagine what Pete's
thoughts were as he shuffled mile after mile through the snow. The scene
he had just left rose before his dulled "Injun" mind. How kind Mrs. Hunt
had always been to him! She was the only one that called him "Mister."
How queer it was that the children should cry because the flowers were
killed! How little Marie had looked at him! Somehow Pete could not drive
those sad eyes away. They seemed to be looking at him from every stump,
from every tree. They were filled with tears now--could it be because
the flowers were frozen?

It is no wonder that when at last the few lingering village lights came
into view, Pete was wondering how he could help matters out.

It was quite late, and most of the shops were closed. Only here and
there some late work