down it for old acquaintance' sake, a big,
disreputable old yellow dog she had fed through last winter, came
bounding up and leaped all over her in delighted recognition. Katrine
was pleased at this welcome, and spent quite a time at the corner with
him, asking how many dog-fights he had had lately, and being answered
with short triumphant barks that she took to mean he had demolished all
the small dogs of that quarter. Then she went on and passed her own
former house, and saw to her surprise it was vacant, and so was Annie's
next it. That looked as if Dawson was not pressed for space. As she was
turning out of the row she saw ahead of her another old acquaintance,
this was a human one, and Katrine felt as if she had quite slipped back
into her own life as she hailed him.

"Sam!" she called gently. "Hello, Sam!"

The miner turned, and as soon as he saw her a broad, genial smile
overspread his countenance and stretched his mouth from one edge of his
fur ear-flaps to the other.

"Why, Kate, you down here again; you've cut the parson fellow, eh?"

"Oh, no," said Katrine hastily, reddening a little; "I'm just in town
for a day or so. How's your wife?"

"Well," answered Sam slowly, as he put himself at her side and slouched
heavily along the side-walk with her. "She's all right--leastways I
reckon she ought to be; she's in 'eaven now."

"Oh, Sam!" said Katrine, in a shocked voice, "is she dead? How did she
die? when?"

"Why, I reckon it was the cold like, she kind of froze to death. When I
got home one night the fire was out, and she was just laying acrost the
hearth; the room was awful cold, and there warn't no food neither--I
'spect that helped it. I'd bin away three or four days, and the food
give out quicker than I thought, and the firin'. I arst a doctor here
wot it was, and he said it was sincough or sumthin'."

"Syncope?" suggested Katrine.

"Yes, that's what 'e said; but I sez it was just the cold a ketchin' of
her heart like, and stopping it."

"What were you doing?" asked Katrine.

"Why, I was out arter gold, o' course."

Katrine shivered. They passed the "Sally White" at that moment, with
its flaring lights and noise of merriment within.

"Let's go in, Sam, and get a drink. Your tale has pretty near frozen
me."

They turned in, and as Katrine pushed open the door there was a shout of
recognition and welcome from the men round the bar. The door fell to
behind them, shutting out the icy night.