ve it bad,
but she didn't do any packing till after she married, and then only at
first. Saw hard lines with that husband of hers. They went through the
Forty-Mile famine together.' 'But can we break it?' 'Don't know.

'Perhaps long walks with her trainers will make the riffle. Anyway,
they'll take it out some, won't they, Madeline?' The girl nodded
assent. If Malemute Kid, who knew all things, said so, why it was so.
That was all there was about it.

She had come over to them, anxious to begin again. Harrington surveyed
her in quest of her points much in the same manner men usually do
horses. It certainly was not disappointing, for he asked with sudden
interest, 'What did that beggarly uncle of yours get anyway?' 'One
rifle, one blanket, twenty bottles of hooch. Rifle broke.' She said
this last scornfully, as though disgusted at how low her maiden-value
had been rated.

She spoke fair English, with many peculiarities of her husband's
speech, but there was still perceptible the Indian accent, the
traditional groping after strange gutturals. Even this her instructors
had taken in hand, and with no small success, too.

At the next intermission, Prince discovered a new predicament.

'I say, Kid,' he said, 'we're wrong, all wrong. She can't learn in
moccasins.

'Put her feet into slippers, and then onto that waxed floor--phew!'
Madeline raised a foot and regarded her shapeless house-moccasins
dubiously. In previous winters, both at Circle City and Forty-Mile, she
had danced many a night away with similar footgear, and there had been
nothing the matter.

But now--well, if there was anything wrong it was for Malemute Kid to
know, not her.

But Malemute Kid did know, and he had a good eye for measures; so he
put on his cap and mittens and went down the hill to pay Mrs.
Eppingwell a call. Her husband, Clove Eppingwell, was prominent in the
community as one of the great Government officials.

The Kid had noted her slender little foot one night, at the Governor's
Ball. And as he also knew her to be as sensible as she was pretty, it
was no task to ask of her a certain small favor.

On his return, Madeline withdrew for a moment to the inner room. When
she reappeared Prince was startled.

'By Jove!' he gasped. 'Who'd a' thought it! The little witch! Why my
sister--' 'Is an English girl,' interrupted Malemute Kid, 'with an
English foot. This girl comes of a small-footed race. Moccasins just
broadened her feet healthily