or three days. We've got our Christmas storm
on hand, an' a worse one than we've had for twenty years, or I'm
mistaken."

"If you thought the storm was going to be severe, why did you not warn
Eben, Mr. Chillis?" The gray eyes watched him steadily.

"I did say, there would be a sou'-wester uncommon severe; but Rumway
laughed at me for prophesyin' in his company. Besides, I was in a hurry
to get off, myself, and wouldn't argue with 'em. Smiley's a man to take
his own way pretty much, too."

"I wish you had warned him," sighed Mrs. Smiley, and turned wearily
away. She left her guest gazing into the fire and still steaming in a
very unsavory manner, lighted a candle, set it in the window, and opened
the door to look out. What she saw made her start back with a cry of
affright, and hurriedly close the door.

"Your boat is this side of the hitching-post, and the water is all
around us!"

"An' it is not yet eight o'clock. I guessed it would be so."

Just then, a fearful blast shook the house, and the boat's chain clanked
nearer. Willie caught his mother's hand, and shivered all over with
terror. "O, mamma!" he sobbed, "will the water drown our house?"

"I hope not, my boy. It may come up and wet our warm, dry floor; but I
trust it will not give us so much trouble. We do not like wet feet, do
we, Willie?"

Then the mother, intent on soothing the child, sat down in the
fire-light and held his curly head in her lap, whispering little cooing
sentences into his ear whenever he grew restless; while her strange,
unbidden guest continued to evaporate in one corner of the hearth,
sitting with his hands on his knees, staring at something in the coals.
There was no attempt at conversation. There had never, until this
evening, been a dozen words exchanged between these neighbors, who knew
each other by sight and by reputation well enough. Joe Chillis was not a
man whose personal appearance--so far as clothes went--nor whose
reputation, would commend him to women generally--the one being shabby
and careless, the other smacking of recklessness and whisky. Not that
any great harm was known of the man; but that he was out of the pale of
polite society even in this new and isolated corner of the earth. He had
had an Indian wife in his youth; being more accustomed to the ways of
her people than of his own. For nearly twenty years he had lived a
thriftless, bachelor existence, known among men, and by hearsay among
women, as a noted st