g hands by the thumbs, as had been her
custom ever since she was a child, and looked up at him, her eyes wet
with emotion. But she could not keep away from the dress for long, and
returned to feast her eyes upon it, the two children standing beside
her, sprouting out of their rubber boots, with eyes and mouths round
and protruding.

"You lak' it, eh?" pressed Poleon, hungry for more demonstrative
expression.

"Oh-h," she sighed, "can't you SEE? Where on earth did you get it?"
Then suddenly realizing its value, she cried, "Why, it must have cost a
fortune!" A quick reproach leaped into her face, but he only laughed
again.

"Wan night I gamble in beeg saloon. Yes, sir! I gamble good dat night,
too. For w'ile I play roulette, den I dance, den I play some more, an'
by-an'-by I see a new dance gal. She's Franche gal, from Montreal.
Dat's de one I tol' you 'bout. Ba Gar! She's swell dress', too. She's
name' Marie Bourgette."

"Oh, I've heard about her," said Necia. "She owns a claim on Bonanza
Creek."

"Sure, she's frien's wit' Charlie McCormack, dat riche feller, but I
don' know it dis tam', so I ask her for dance wit' me. Den we drink a
bottle of champagne--twenty dollar."

"'Mamselle,' I say, 'how much you charge for sell me dat dress?'"

"'For w'y shall I sell im,' she say; 'I don' wear 'im before till
to-night, an' I don' get no more dress lak' dis for t'ousan' dollar.'"

Necia exclaimed excitedly.

'"For w'y you sell 'im?' I say. 'Biccause I'll tak' 'im down to
Flambeau for Necia Gale, w'at never had no dress lak' dat in all her
life.' Wal, sir, dat Marie Bourgette, she's hear of you before, an'
your dad, too--mos' all dose Cheechakos know 'bout Old Man Gale--so she
say:

"'Wat lookin' kind of gal is dis Necia?' An' I tell her all 'bout you.
Wen I'm t'rough she say:'"

"'But maybe your little frien' is more bigger as I am. Maybe de dress
won't fit.'"

"'Ha! You don' know me, mamselle,' I say. 'I can guess de weight of a
caribou to five poun'. She'll be same size la'kin' one inch 'roun' de
wais'.'"

"'Poleon Doret,' she say, 'you ain' no Franchemans to talk lak'dat.
Look here! I can sell dis dress for t'ousan' dollar to-night, or I can
trade 'im for gol'-mine on El Dorado Creek to some dose Swede w'at want
to catch a gal, but I'm goin' sell 'im to you for t'ree hondred dollar,
jus' w'at I pay for 'im. You wait here till I come back.'"

"'No, no, Mamselle Marie, I'll go 'long, too, for so you don' chan