decrepit, straw-hatted proprietor of the Hotel
Brunswick stuck his beard out of the door and uttered "Supper!" with a
shrill croak, at which the girl rose.

"Come!" said Lin, "let's hurry!"

But I hooked my fingers in his belt, and in spite of his plaintive oaths
at my losing him the best seat at the table, told him in three words the
sister's devoted journey.

"Nate Buckner!" he exclaimed. "Him with a decent sister!"

"It's the other way round," said I. "Her with him for a brother!"

"He goes to the penitentiary this week," said Lin. "He had no more cash
to stake his lawyer with, and the lawyer lost interest in him. So his
sister could have waited for her convict away back at Joliet, and saved
time and money. How did she act when yu' told her?"

"I've not told her."

"Not? Too kind o' not your business? Well, well! You'd ought to know
better 'n me. Only it don't seem right to let her--no, sir; it's not
right, either. Put it her brother was dead (and Miss. Fligg's husband
would like dearly to make him dead), you'd not let her come slap up
against the news unwarned. You would tell her he was sick, and start her
gently."

"Death's different," said I.

"Shucks! And she's to find him caged, and waiting for stripes and a
shaved head? How d' yu' know she mightn't hate that worse 'n if he'd
been just shot like a man in a husband scrape, instead of jailed like a
skunk for thieving? No, sir, she mustn't. Think of how it'll be. Quick
as the stage pulls up front o' the Buffalo post-office, plump she'll be
down ahead of the mail-sacks, inquiring after her brother, and all that
crowd around staring. Why, we can't let her do that; she can't do that.
If you don't feel so interfering, I'm good for this job myself." And Mr.
McLean took the lead and marched jingling in to supper.

The seat he had coveted was vacant. On either side the girl were empty
chairs, two or three; for with that clean, shy respect of the frontier
that divines and evades a good woman, the dusty company had sat itself
at a distance, and Mr. McLean's best seat was open to him. Yet he had
veered away to the other side of the table, and his usually roving eye
attempted no gallantry. He ate sedately, and it was not until after long
weeks and many happenings that Miss Buckner told Lin she had known he
was looking at her through the whole of this meal. The straw-hatted
proprietor came and went, bearing beefsteak hammered flat to make it
tender. The girl seeme