he came in and closed the door.

CHAPTER XII

He was sitting on one of the stools, pipe in mouth, reading a newspaper
he had already read in the train.

"Well, what do you think of the shack?"

"I don't know."

"I built it with my own hands. Every one of them logs was a tree I cut
down myself. You wait till morning and I'll show you how they're joined
together, at the corners. There's some neat work there, my girl, I
guess."

"Yes? Oh, I was forgetting; here's the kettle." She brought it over to
him from the shelf. He filled the kettle carefully from the pail while
she stood and watched him. She took it from his hand and set it on the
stove to boil.

"You'll find some tea in one of them cans on the shelf; leastways, there
was some there when I come away. I reckon you're hungry."

"I don't think I am, very. I ate a very good supper on the train, you
know."

"I'm glad you call that a good supper. I guess I could wrap up the
amount you ate in a postage stamp."

"Well," she said with a smile, "you may be glad to learn that I haven't
a very large appetite."

"I have, then. Where's the loaf we got in Winnipeg this afternoon?"

"I'll get it."

"And the butter. You'll bake to-morrow, I reckon."

"You're a brave man--unless you've forgotten my first attempt at
Eddie's," she said with a laugh as she took the loaf and butter from the
bag.

For some reason her mood had completely changed. All her confidence in
being perfectly able to take care of herself had returned. She had been
frightened, badly frightened a moment ago at nothing. Nerves, nothing
more. Nerves were queer things. It was because she hadn't slept last
night. She was such a good sleeper naturally that a wakeful night
affected her more than it did most people. The cool night air had
completely restored her.

She hunted about until she found a knife, and with the loaf in one hand
and the knife poised in the air asked:

"Shall I cut you some?"

"Yep."

"Please."

"Please what?"

"Yep, please," she said with a gay smile.

"Oh!" he growled.

Still smiling, she cut several slices of bread and buttered them. Going
to the shelf, she found the teapot and shook some tea into it from one
of the cans, measuring it carefully with her eye. His momentary ill
humor, caused by her correcting him, vanished as he watched her.

"I guess it's about time you took your hat and coat off," he said with a
chuckle.

As a matter of fact, she was not