is slumber, perhaps dreaming of hares and
porcupines. A cricket ensconced beneath the flat stones under the
stove began to chirp, shrilly. Outside a big-horned owl was hooting,
dismally, while the big falls continued to roar out their eternal
song. And thus the long night wore out till a flaming crimson and
copper dawn came up, with flashing rays that stabbed the great rolling
clouds while the trees kept on cracking in the intense frost and the
ice in the big pool churned and groaned under the torment of waters
seeking to burst their shackles.

CHAPTER VII

Carcajou Is Shocked

After Stefan had started away with Madge, Miss Sophy McGurn, who had
been on the watch, was delighted to see Mrs. Olsen coming to the
store. She greeted her customer more pleasantly than ever and served
her with a bag of beans, two spools of black thread and a pound of the
best oleo-butter. The older woman was nothing loath to talk, and
confirmed the girl's suspicion that Stefan had taken that young woman
to Hugo's. Mrs. Olsen insisted on the fact that her visitor was a real
pretty girl, though awfully thin and looking as if a breath would blow
her over. She also commented on the lack of suitable clothing for such
dreadful weather, and on the utter ignorance Madge seemed to display
of anything connected with Carcajou or, in fact, any part of Ontario.
When questioned, cautiously, she admitted that she knew no reason
whatever for the girl's coming, but she hastened to assert that Stefan
had said it was all right, which settled the question, and, with her
rather waddling gait, started off for her house again.

As soon as Stefan returned Sophy saw that he still had a woman on his
toboggan. She hurried to meet him and was grievously disappointed when
she found out it was Mrs. Carew. But she boldly went up to Stefan.

"Hello! Stefan!" she said. "Where did you leave your passenger of this
morning?"

"Hello! Sophy!" he answered, placidly. "I leaf de yong leddy vhere she
ban going, I tank."

"She isn't coming back to-night?"

"Mebbe yes, mebbe no," he answered, grabbing Mrs. Carew's bag and
hurrying with her into the station, for the engine's whistle announced
that he had made the journey with little or no time to spare.

Sophy made her way back to the store, meeting Mrs. Kilrea on her way.
To this lady she confided that a young woman had gone up to Hugo
Ennis' shack and had not returned. Wasn't it queer? And Mrs. Olsen had
said that s