or at least the desire that
she also might be as well fended against the bitter cold. She had the
miserable feeling that comes over both man and woman when feeling that
one's garments are out of place and ill-suited to the occasion. Once
Madge had seen a moving-picture representing some lurid drama of the
North, and some of the women in it had worn that sort of clothing.

Big Stefan had lighted his pipe and sought a seat that creaked under
his ponderous weight. He opened the door of the stove and threw two or
three large pieces of yellow birch in it.

"Guess it ain't nefer cold vhere you comes from," he ventured. "You'll
haf to put on varm tings if you goin' all de vay to Roaring Rifer
Falls."

"I'm afraid I have nothing warmer than this," the girl faltered. "I--I
didn't know it was so very cold here. And--and I'm nicely warmed up
now, and perhaps I won't feel it so very much."

"You stay right here an' vait for me," he told her, and went out of
the waiting-room, hurriedly. But he opened the door again.

"If Hugo he come vhile I am avay, you tell him I pring youst two three
tings from my voman for you. I'm back right avay. So long, ma'am!"

She was left alone for at least a quarter of an hour, and it reminded
her of a long wait she had undergone in the reception-room of the
hospital. Then, as now, she had feared the unknown, had shivered at
the thought that presently she would be in the hands of strange people
who might or not be friendly, and be lost among a mass of suffering
humanity. Twice she heard the runners of sleighs creaking on the
ground, and her heart began to beat, but the sounds faded away. Joe,
the station agent, came in and asked her civilly whether she was warm
enough, telling her that outside it was forty below. Wood was cheap,
he told her, and he put more sticks in the devouring stove. After she
had thanked him and given him the check for her little trunk he
vanished again, and she listened to the telegraph sounder.

Stefan, returning, was hailed at the door of the store by Sophy
McGurn.

"Who's the strange lady, Stefan?" she asked, most innocently.

"It's a leddy vhat is expectin' Hugo Ennis," he answered.

"How queer!" said the girl, airily.

"Ay dunno," answered the Swede. "Vhen Hugo he do a thing it ain't
nefer qveer, Ay tank."

She turned away and Stefan stepped over to the depot and opened the
door. Madge looked up, startled and again afraid. It was a relief to
her to see Stefan's