ory?" said Mary.

"O, you know what we want, for you were in the kitchen and heard what was
said."

[Illustration: Wigwams and Indians.]

But Mary still protested her ignorance, and declared that she had been so
busy caring for Souwanaquenapeke that she had not listened to half the
chatter that had passed between them and the Indians.

"O, I know you, sakehow Mary," said Sagastao. "You don't want to tell us
because there was a woman like yourself mixed up in it."

Mary bridled up with indignation, but before she could utter a word the
arms of Sagastao were around her neck, and he cried:

"Forgive me, sakehou! for speaking so foolishly. I do remember now that you
had left the kitchen with baby before Minnehaha asked the question."

This prompt apology and the sweet word "sakehow" restored harmony, and Mary
was now anxious to please them.

"What was the question which interested you?" asked Mary.

"Why has the marten that queer white spot on its throat?" asked Minnehaha.

"And the men told us to go to you because there was a woman in it," added
Sagastao.

Mary smiled when she heard this.

"Yes," she said, "there was a foolish woman mixed up in the story. It was
like this, as far as I can remember, and it is a story from the North
people. Long ago a man had a wife who was a very proud, vain woman. She was
not contented with having her husband and her own people saying nice things
about her, but she wanted to be flattered and admired by every creature.
You know that I have told you that, in old times, animals could talk and
do many things. Well, this conceited woman, with her silly foolish way,
began attracting the different animals around her. Almost everybody was
laughing at her, but she seemed to think it great fun to have so many
admirers. She got a lesson one day when flirting with the bear. They were
walking along together and she let him put his arm around her, but he gave
her such a hug that he broke two of her ribs. She was a long time getting
well and then her husband gave her a great lecturing. You would have
thought that this would have cured her, but not a bit of it. When she was
well again she was just as silly as ever, though she took good care not to
flirt with any animal that could hug like a bear. She next bewitched the
skunk with her foolishness. But one day, as they walked together, a dog
suddenly attacked the skunk and in his anger and excitement he so perfumed
the woman, instead of the dog