, whose arm she had taken, found it a severe trial to resume his
wonted mentorship. Harrington, with the list of purchases still running
through his head, dragged along in the rear, nor opened his mouth once
all the way down into the town. When they came to the back door of the
Opera House they took the blanket from Madeline's shoulders and spread
it on the snow. Slipping out of Prince's moccasins, she stepped upon it
in new satin slippers. The masquerade was at its height. She hesitated,
but they jerked open the door and shoved her in. Then they ran around
to come in by the front entrance.

III

'Where is Freda?' the Old-Timers questioned, while the che-cha-quas
were equally energetic in asking who Freda was. The ballroom buzzed
with her name.

It was on everybody's lips. Grizzled 'sour-dough boys,' day-laborers at
the mines but proud of their degree, either patronized the
spruce-looking tenderfeet and lied eloquently--the 'sour-dough boys'
being specially created to toy with truth--or gave them savage looks of
indignation because of their ignorance. Perhaps forty kings of the
Upper and Lower Countries were on the floor, each deeming himself hot
on the trail and sturdily backing his judgment with the yellow dust of
the realm. An assistant was sent to the man at the scales, upon whom
had fallen the burden of weighing up the sacks, while several of the
gamblers, with the rules of chance at their finger-ends, made up
alluring books on the field and favorites.

Which was Freda? Time and again the 'Greek Dancer' was thought to have
been discovered, but each discovery brought panic to the betting ring
and a frantic registering of new wagers by those who wished to hedge.
Malemute Kid took an interest in the hunt, his advent being hailed
uproariously by the revelers, who knew him to a man. The Kid had a good
eye for the trick of a step, and ear for the lilt of a voice, and his
private choice was a marvelous creature who scintillated as the 'Aurora
Borealis.' But the Greek dancer was too subtle for even his
penetration. The majority of the gold-hunters seemed to have centered
their verdict on the 'Russian Princess,' who was the most graceful in
the room, and hence could be no other than Freda Moloof.

During a quadrille a roar of satisfaction went up. She was discovered.
At previous balls, in the figure, 'all hands round,' Freda had
displayed an inimitable step and variation peculiarly her own. As the
figure was called,