the trees.

"This is my night," she declared. "What you don't understand about
railway construction doesn't need to be worried about. Anyway they're
gone. It isn't often a man's wife drops in on him from four days of
wandering, when he thinks her two hundred miles away as the crow flies."

He looked about the room with an apologetic smile. "It isn't the place
I'd choose to bring you to, Helen, though Williams has done a lot in
the couple of hours since you arrived. It doesn't seem the same old
room. If you'd believe me, he wants four days off to scare up some
luxuries worthy of the event down at Saskatoon . . . and I can't
convince myself it's part of our duties. He got quite huffy when I
refused. That's the worst of marrying a woman every man falls in love
with. The only redeeming feature is that we've lots of room; there's
bedroom space enough for half Medicine Hat--though I wouldn't recommend
it to my friends. . . . I believe bohunks do bathe--they must have a
human trait or two--but I've never happened to see it. The nearest
approach was two semi-civilised fellows down at the river one evening
sheepishly dipping their hands in the water and wiping them on a
discarded shirt. And shirts aren't discarded here until they're past
wearing. It wasn't promising for results, but it showed good will."

He pushed across a plate of abnormal raspberries. "Try another sample.
Our mutual friend, 'Uggins, hand-selected them from a thousand miles of
laden bushes. I believe he and Murphy almost came to blows over them
because, after finding fault with the china in which they were to be
presented, Murphy contended that he knew a spot where larger ones grew.
'Uggins was undecided whether to look for the spot and give Murphy a
chance to forestall him, or to insult you by offering you something not
reputed to be the best."

She nibbled at the berries that, ever since the seed had been borne
hither on the winds, had been reserved for birds and bears. But her
husband was not at ease. Twice in the next ten minutes he went to the
door and listened up the track.

"They must be stopping at Torrance's," he said, throwing wide the door
and leaning against the side as he talked. "It'll make some
excitement, at any rate, for a nice little girl who's going a bit to
seed. No . . . they're coming back!" He paused to listen, his brow
wrinkling. "That's quick work, whatever they did."

The roaring putter was rushing back towa