.

"You fellows think you're funny, don't you?" he returned, grinning.
"Believe me, your wit is second-hand!"

Mahooley stuck his head out of the back door. "Hey, Bela!" he cried.
"Come look at the new boarder I brought you!"

The crowd fell silent, and every pair of eyes turned toward the door,
filled with strong curiosity to see the meeting between these two. Sam
felt the tension and his heart began to beat, but he stiffened his
back and kept on smiling. Bela came in wearing her most unconcerned
air. They were not going to get any change out of her!

"Hello, Bela!" cried Sam. "Can I have some supper?"

She looked him over coolly. "Sure," she said. "Sit down by Stiffy."

They roared with laughter at her manner. Sam laughed, too, to hide the
discomfiture he privately felt. Sam took his allotted place. The
laughter of the crowd was perfectly good-natured, except in the case
of one man whom Sam marked.

Opposite him sat Joe Hagland. Joe stared at Sam offensively, and
continued to laugh after the others had done. Sam affected not to
notice him. To himself he said:

"I've got to fight Joe, big as he is. He stands in my way."

Outside in the canvas kitchen a little comedy was in progress all
unknown to the boarders. Bela came back breathing quickly, and showing
a red spot in either ivory cheek. Forgetting the supper, she began to
dig in her dunnage bag.

Getting out a lace collar, she flew to the mirror to put it on. Her
hair dissatisfied her, and she made it fluff out a little under the
rich braid which crowned her brow. Finally, she ruthlessly tore a rose
from her new hat and pinned it to her girdle as she had seen Jennie
Mackall do.

She turned around to find old Mary Otter staring at her open-mouthed
while the turnovers in the frying-pan sent up a cloud of blue smoke.

"The cakes are burning!" stormed Bela. "What's the matter with you?
All that good grease! Do I pay you to spoil good food? You gone crazy,
I think!"

"Somebody else crazy I think me," muttered the old woman, rescuing the
frying-pan.

Bela's boarders were not a very perspicacious lot, but when she came
in again to serve the dinner the dullest among them became aware of
the change in her. The lace collar and the rose in her belt were
significant enough, but there was more than that.

Before she had been merely the efficient hostess, friendly to all--but
sexless. Now she was woman clear through; her eyes flashed with the
consciousness of i