I have ever met
come shambling toward me.

She was Aggie McEttrick. She is tall and raw-boned, she walks with her
toes turned out, she has a most peculiar lurching gait like a camel's.
She has skin the color of a new saddle, and the oddest straggly
straw-colored hair. She never wears corsets and never makes her waists
long enough, so there is always a streak of gray undershirt visible
about her waist. Her skirts are never long enough either, and she knits
her own stockings. Those inclined can always get a good glimpse of
blue-and-white striped hose. She said, "I guess you are the Missus."
And that was every word she said until I had supper on the table. The
men were busy with their teams, and she sat with her feet in my oven,
eyeing my every movement. I told her we had just had our supper, but
she waited until I had theirs ready before she announced that neither
she nor Archie ate hot biscuits or steak, that they didn't take tea for
supper, preferred coffee, and that neither of them could eat peaches or
honey. So all of my supper was ruled off except the butter and cream.
She went down to their wagons and brought up what she wanted, so Tam
Campbell was the only one who ate my honey and biscuit.

Tam is just a Scot with an amazingly close fist, and he is very
absent-minded. I had met Annie, his wife, and their six children. She
told me of his absent-mindedness. Her remedy for his trouble when it
came to household needs was to repeat the article two or three times in
the list. People out like we are buy a year's supply at a time. So a
list of needed things is made up and sent into town. Tam always managed
to forget a great many things.

Well, bedtime came. I offered to show them to their room, but Aggie
said, "We'll nae sleep in your bed. We'll jest bide in the kitchen." I
could not persuade her to change her mind. Tam slept at the barn in
order to see after the "beasties," should they need attention during
the night. As I was preparing for bed, Aggie thrust her head into my
room and announced that she would be up at three o'clock. I am not an
early bird, so I thought I would let Aggie get her own breakfast, and I
told her she would find everything in the pantry. As long as I was
awake I could hear Archie and Aggie talking, but I could not imagine
what about. I didn't know their habits so well as I came to later. Next
morning the rumbling of their wagons awakened me, but I turned over and
slept until after six.

Ther