did not often happen, for in
the remote prairie town of the Canadian Northwest, where her husband
was stationed, there were few opportunities for match-making. And Mrs.
Hill was--or believed herself to be--a born matchmaker.

Major Hill was in command of the detachment of Northwest Mounted
Police at Dufferin Bluff. Mrs. Hill was wont to declare that it was
the most forsaken place to be found in Canada or out of it; but she
did her very best to brighten it up, and it is only fair to say that
the N.W.M.P., officers and men, seconded her efforts.

When Violet Thayer came west to pay a long-promised visit to her old
schoolfellow, Mrs. Hill's cup of happiness bubbled over. In her secret
soul she vowed that Violet should never go back east unless it were
post-haste to prepare a wedding trousseau. There were at least half a
dozen eligibles among the M.P.s, and Mrs. Hill, after some reflection,
settled on Ned Madison as the flower of the flock.

"He and Violet are simply made for each other," she told Major Hill
the evening before Miss Thayer's arrival. "He has enough money and he
is handsome and fascinating. And Violet is a beauty and a clever woman
into the bargain. They can't help falling in love, I'm sure; it's
fate!"

"Perhaps Miss Thayer may be booked elsewhere already," suggested Major
Hill. He had seen more than one of his wife's card castles fall into
heartbreaking ruin.

"Oh, no; Violet would have told me if that were the case. It's really
quite time for her to think of settling down. She is twenty-five, you
know. The men all go crazy over her, but she's dreadfully hard to
please. However, she can't help liking Ned. He hasn't a single fault.
I firmly believe it is foreordained."

And in this belief Mrs. Hill rested securely, but nevertheless did not
fail to concoct several feminine artifices for the helping on of
foreordination. It was a working belief with her that it was always
well to have the gods in your debt.

Violet Thayer came, saw, and conquered. Within thirty-six hours of her
arrival at Dufferin Bluff she had every one of the half-dozen
eligibles at her feet, not to mention a score or more ineligibles. She
would have been surprised indeed had it been otherwise. Miss Thayer
knew her power, and was somewhat unduly fond of exercising it. But she
was a very nice girl into the bargain, and so thought one and all of
the young men who frequented Mrs. Hill's drawing-room and counted it
richly worth while me