ght, an impetuous longing for the
father filled her. Passionately pressing the little creature to her
breast she gave vent to the homesickness and ache of her heart in wild,
convulsed sobs. The touch of the little one, the resemblance of its
tiny face to that of the blond man--these brought back the old passion
and longing in all their bitterness. Yet at the same time the child
brought a new satisfying solace to her; it filled an immeasurable void
in her heart. Now and again she held it from her, and suppressing her
violent sobs, solemnly regarded its face. She could not get over the
wonder and half-surprise that possessed her. With utter abandon she
finally fiercely clutched it to her. The infant began to cry.
Annadoah, with slow, cautious gentleness laid it down by her side,
scared, amazed. Thereupon the baby for the first time opened its eyes.
Annadoah leaned forward, gazing at it intently, wildly--then uttered a
scream as though she had been stabbed to the heart.

When the wise woman--who had left Annadoah alone for a long
sleep--returned to prepare food and to seek of the spirits the destined
name of the child, she saw Annadoah lying still, her face upturned,
tear drops glistening beneath her eyes. The wise woman placed some of
the fried walrus meat, or _seralatoq_--the prescribed food for a mother
the day her child is born--into a stone plate and put it on the floor
within reach of Annadoah. Then she melted some snow and placed it by
the couch. Slowly approaching the bed she lifted the naked infant.

"When thy mother wakes," she muttered, "I shall call upon the spirits.
I shall give thee the name they gave thee in the great dark ere thou
earnest hither--the name which was born with thee and which shall be as
thy shadow."

As she laid the little creature by the unconscious mother she saw a
strange and frightful thing. The curse! And thereupon she knew she
would not be called upon to learn of the spirits any name for this
unhappy child. It had, indeed, been named by the dead and with it the
unuttered name must soon return to the great dark. With set lips, and
the grim determination of duty on her face, she crept softly from the
igloo.

Annadoah awoke. At first she gazed about dazedly. Then she realized
that the _ilisitok_ had been with her--she observed the meat and warm
water by her couch. She realized also that the wise woman must have
seen the horror which had gripped her heart like the te