miling all over and bidding
her a good-day. She helped remove the now superfluous things.

"De yoong leddy she come all de vay from Nev York, vhat is a real hot
country, I expect," explained Stefan, placidly and inaccurately. "Sit
down, leddy, an haf sometings to eat. You needs plenty grub, good an'
hot, in dem cold days. Ve sit down now. Here, Yoe, and you, Yulia,
come ofer an' talk to de leddy! Dem's our children, ma'am, and de baby
in de grib."

Madge was glad to greet the rosy, round-cheeked children, who advanced
timidly towards her and stared at her out of big blue eyes.

Hesitatingly she took the seat Stefan had indicated with a big thumb,
and suddenly a ravenous hunger came upon her. The great pan full of
sizzling bacon and fat pork; the steaming and strongly scented coffee;
the great pile of thick floury rolls taken out of the oven, appeared
to constitute a repast fit for the gods. Stefan and his family joined
hands while the mother asked a short blessing, during which the
children were hard put to it to stop from staring again at the
stranger.

"And so," ventured the good wife, amiably, "you iss likely de sister
from Hugo Ennis, ma'am?"

Madge's fork clattered down upon her enamel-ware plate.

"No," she said. "I--of course I'm not his sister."

"Excoose me. He don't nefer tell nobody as he vas marrit, Hugo didn't.
Ve vas alvays tinking he vos a bachelor mans, yoost like most of dem
young mans as come to dese countries."

"But--but I'm not his wife, either!" cried Madge, nervously.

"I--I don't yoost understand, den," said the good woman, placidly.
"Oh! mebbe you help grub-stake him vhile he vork at de rocks for dat
silfer and you come see how he gettin' along. Ve tank he do very
vell."

"Yes, Hugo he got some ore as is lookin' very fine, all uncofered
alretty," Stefan informed her. "Und it's such a bretty place he haf at
de Falls."

The man doubtless referred to the scenery but Madge was under the
impression that he was speaking of the house in which this Ennis
lived. It was strange that he had said nothing to these people, who
evidently knew him well, in regard to the reason of her coming. It was
probably a well-meant discretion that had guided his conduct, she
thought, but it had caused her some little embarrassment.

"In his letter Mr. Ennis said that I was to come straight to this
place, to Carcajou. He told me that I would be taken to his house at
Roaring River Falls, that I might see it.