The Washington herald., 1912-06-23

According to the letter which had comt
to him from the Churchill factor, Col
Becker and his wife had come over OF
the last supply ship from London, anC
the colonel was high official IN thS
company's service Also, he was an OLD
gentleman. Ostensibly he had no busi.
ness at Lac Balm, but was merely on Z
vacation, and wished to see a bit oi
real life in the wilderness.
Breeds grizzled face was miserable
why don't they send 'em down &c
York Factory or Nelson House?" he
demanded of Steele They've got
duck feathers, three women, and civil
lied factor at the Nelson, and there ain't
any of 'em here-not even a woman !!
Steele shrugged his shoulders as
Breed mentioned the three women al
Nelson.
There are only two women there
now," he replied. Since a certain
BuclIy Nome passed that way, one oi
them has gone into the South"
We'll, two, then," said Breed, who
had not caught the fash of fire in the
others eyes. But / tell you there amt
one here, Steele, not even an Indian
and that dirty Cree, Jack, is doing the
cooking. Blessed Saints. I caught him
mixing biscuit dough in the wash basin
the other day, and I've been eating
those biscuits ever since since our peo-
pie went out to their traplines There's
you, and Nome, two Crees, half and
myself-and that's every soul thereD
be at Lac Balm until the mid-winter run
of fur Now, what in heavens name
is the poor old Mrs. Colonel going to
do?"
Got a bed for her?"
"a bunk-hard as nails!"
Good grub"
"Rotten!" groaned the factor. Every
trapper's son of them took out big sup
plies this fall and we're stripped. Beans,
-four, sugar'n' prunes-sand caribou un-
til feel like turning inside out every
time l smell it. I'd give a months
commission for a pound of pork. Look
here! If this letter amt quality you
can cut me into jiggers Bet the Mrs.
Colonel wrote it for her hubby"
From an inside pocket Breed drew
forth a square white envelope with a
broken steal of red wax, and from. it
extracted a folded sheet of cream-tint-
ed paper Scarcely had Steele taken the
note in his hands when a quick thrill
passed through him. Before he had
read the first line he was conscious
again of that haunting sweetness in the
air he breathed-the perfume of hya-
cinth. There was not only this per
fume, but the same paper. the same deli
cately pretty writing Of the letter he
had burned more than a week before.
He made no effort to suppress the ex-
clamation of astonishment that broke
from his lips. Breed was staring at
him when he lifted his eyes.
This is a mighty strange coinci-
composure Il could almost swear that
know this writing. and yet of course
such a thing is impossible Still, it's
mighty queer; VIII you let me keep
the letter. until tonight? I'd like to
take it over to the cabin and compare
Needn't return it at all" interrupted
the factor. Hope you find something
interesting to tell me at supPer-5
sharp. 1t will be blessing if you
know EN-"
Ten minutes later Steele was in the
little cabin which he and Nome occu-
pied while at Lac Balm. Jack, the Cree.
had built a rousing fire in the long
sheet-iron stove, and as Steele opened
its furnace-like door, a food of light
poured out into the gathering gloom
of early evening. Drawing a chair full
into the light, he again opened the let
ter Line for line and word for word
he scrutinized the writing, and with
each breath that he drew he found him
self more deeply thrilled by a curious
mental excitement which it was impos-
sible for him to explain According to
the letter, Col. and Mrs. Becker had ar
rived at Churchill aboard the London