ory-teller, and genial, devil-may-care, old mountain
man, whose heart was in the right place, but who never drew very heavily
upon his brain resources, except to embellish a tale of his early
exploits in Indian-fighting, bear-killing and beaver-trapping. It was
with a curious feeling of wonder that Mrs. Smiley found herself
_tete-a-tete_ with him at her own fireside; and, in spite of her anxiety
about other matters, she could not help studying him a good deal, as he
sat there, silent and almost as motionless as a statue; nor keep from
noticing his splendid _physique_, and the aristocratic cut of his
features; nor from imagining him as he must have been in his youth. She
was absorbed for a little while, picturing this gallant young White
among his Indian associates--trying to fancy how he treated his squaw
wife, and whether he really cared for her as he would for a White woman;
then, she wondered what kind of an experience his present life would be
for any one else--herself, for instance--living most of the year on a
flat-boat housed in, and hiding in sloughs, and all manner of watery,
out-of-the-way places. She loved forest and stream, and sylvan shades,
well enough; but not well enough for that. So a human creature who could
thus voluntarily exile himself must be peculiar. But Joe Chillis did not
look peculiar; he looked as alive and human as anybody--in fact,
particularly alive and human just now; and it was not any eccentricity
which had brought him to her this night, but a real human reason. What
was the reason?

What with his mother's cooing whispers, and the passing of her light
hand over his hair, Willie had fallen asleep. Mrs. Smiley lifted him in
her arms and laid him on the lounge, covering him carefully, and
touching him tenderly, kissing his bright curls at the last. Chillis
turned to watch her--he could not help it. Perhaps he speculated about
_her_ way of living and acting, as she had speculated about his.
Meantime, the tempest outside increased in fury, and the little cottage
trembled with its fitful shocks.

Now that Willie was asleep, Mrs. Chillis felt a growing nervousness and
embarrassment. She could not bring herself to sit down again, alone with
Joe Chillis. Not that she was afraid of him--there was nothing in his
appearance to inspire a dread of the man; but she wanted to know what he
was there for. The sensitive nerves of the man felt this mental inquiry
of her, but he would not be the first to s