powers of darkness
and bitter, benumbing cold. It was a resurrection!

The mile separating the shack from the Papineau homestead had been a
long and fatiguing one on the first occasion of Madge's going to see
the wounded man. Now the distance was trivial; a few sturdy steps, a
few fillings of one's lungs with the scent of conifers; and there was
the little chimney smoking and the cow with her little calf, and the
dogs, and the few hens that had survived the attacks of weasels. Best
of all there were her friends, children and babies and the quiet
Frenchman and the kind-hearted, red-cheeked, cheery mother whose
influence had been paramount in creating a little paradise in the
wilds.

She helped Hugo off the buckboard, jealously, deeming herself the only
one who could properly handle an invalid, and enthroned him in the
best chair, near the open fire.

"You--you are h'all so velcome as I can't say," she declared.

"Miss Nelson is going away with Stefan in a few minutes," said Hugo,
cheerfully.

At this Mrs. Papineau's face fell. She looked positively unhappy.

"Some'ow," she said, sniffing, "I always 'ope she stay 'ere h'all de
time now. I--I never tink she go avay for good. De--de dogs and de
calf and--an--de baby and chil'ren dey all love 'er. I h'awful
sorry."

"But--but I'm coming back, Mrs. Papineau," cried Madge. "I--I can't
live away from--from Roaring River now!"

"Dey two iss ter be marrit!" roared Stefan. "Hey! What you tank? I
tank so all de time, you bet!"

At this they all crowded around Madge, and such hand-shakings, and
such kisses from the good woman and the children, and such joy
depicted on all the faces! She thought that never a bride had received
such heartfelt congratulations and good wishes.

But in a couple of hours the old horse was quite rested and had
finished the small bag of oats Stefan had brought and eaten plenty of
the sweet-scented hay furnished by Papineau, and it was time to go.
Strangely enough, at the last moment, the usually crowded house was
deserted excepting by two, who found themselves in one another's
arms.

"God bless you, Madge," said the man. "I will come soon."

"I shall be waiting," answered the girl, simply.

And so she rode away again, in the old buckboard that rolled and
pitched and heaved and bucked so that very often she got off and
walked at the side of Stefan.

Late that night she found herself in the doctor's home, after a
wonderful welcome from his