nts while quartermaster, and Mrs. Bagley
decided to remain as she was until Major Bagley's return. He was away
one month, and during that time the gardener stored away in our little
cellar our vegetables for the winter, including quantities of beautiful
celery that was packed in boxes. All those things had to be taken down
a ladder, which made it really very hard work. Having faith in Major
Bagley's word, the house was cleaned from top to bottom, much painting
and calcimining having been done. All the floors were painted and
hard-oiled, and everyone knows what discomfort that always brings about.
But at last everything was finished, and we were about to settle down to
the enjoyment of a tidy, cheerful little home when Major Bagley appeared
the second time, and within two hours Faye was notified that his
quarters had been selected by him!

We are at present in two rooms and a shed that happened to be
unoccupied, and I feel very much as though I was in a second-hand shop.
Things are piled up to the ceiling in both rooms, and the shed is full
also. All of the vegetables were brought up from the cellar, of course,
and as the weather has been very cold, the celery and other tender
things were frozen. General and Mrs. Bourke have returned, and at
once insisted upon our going to their house, but as there was nothing
definite about the time when we will get our house, we said "No." We are
taking our meals with them, however, and Hang is there also, teaching
their new Chinaman. But I can assure you that I am more than cross. If
Major Bagley had selected the house the first time he came, or even
if he had said nothing at all about the quarters, much discomfort and
unpleasantness would have been avoided. They will get our nice clean
house, and we will get one that will require the same renovating we have
just been struggling with. I have made up my mind unalterably to one
thing--the nice little dinner I had expected to give Major and Mrs.
Bagley later on, will be for other people, friends who have had less
honey to dispose of.

The splendid hunting was interrupted by the move, too. Every October in
this country we have a snowstorm that lasts usually three or four days;
then the snow disappears and there is a second fall, with clear sunny
days until the holidays. This year the weather remained warm and the
storm was later than usual, but more severe when it did come, driving
thousands of water-fowl down with a rush from the mounta