om Mollie inquired denied knowing
anything of it, and I said very little. Going to my trunk afterwards, I
found that the lock had been picked and broken,--a pretty severe "joke,"
and one I do not relish, as now I have no place in which to keep
anything from these men. If they enter my room whenever they choose in
the daytime, what is to prevent them when I am asleep? I took Mollie
upstairs and showed her the broken lock, and she stooped to brush some
white hairs from her dark wool skirt.

"Where they come from?" she asked suddenly. Then, picking at the
reindeer skin upon the floor under her feet, she said, nodding her head
decidedly, "I know. He--Sim--come to me in sewing-room,--hair all same
this on two knees of blank pants. I say, 'Where you get white reindeer
hair on you, Sim?' He say, 'I don't know.' Sim make hole in wall, and
string on bed for you, Mrs. Sullivan. He make lock peeluk, too," and
Mollie's face wore a serious and worried expression.

"O, well, Mollie," said I, "don't worry. I shall say nothing to any of
the men as they are mad at me now."

Mollie nodded significantly and said: "Your fox skins peeluk, Mrs.
Sullivan. Sim knows where--he never tell--sell for whiskey, maybe," and
Mollie turned to go, as though he were a hopeless case, and beyond her
government.

"Yes, Mollie, I think so; but you can not help what these bad men do. I
know that, and do not blame you."

"My husband very sorry 'bout fox skins. He cannot find--he no blame,"
and she seemed to fear that I would attach some blame to the captain.

"No, indeed, Mollie, I don't think your husband can help what they do. I
should not have left my fox skins hanging in that room, and will be
careful in future, but if they come into my room they may steal other
things, and I do not like it."

"I know, I know,--Sim no good--Joe no good--Bub no good," and she went
away in a very depressed state of mind to Jennie and Apuk's baby.

Of course Mollie told all to the captain, who immediately accused the
men in the bar-room, and they all swore vengeance upon me from that on,
so I suppose they will do all they can to torment me.

We are having a sensation in Chinik. The "bloomin' Commissioner" is
about to be deposed from office, for unfitness, neglect of duty, and
dissipation; and a petition is being handed around the camp by the
Marshal, praying the Nome authorities that he be retained. The honest
storekeeper refused to sign it, as have many of the Swed