"

The widow snorted. "Hah! Yiss, flo-at! Me windysills is burthened with
dirty float--but where's the gould?"

"I'll find it, Mrs. Delaney--but you must be patient," he mildly
replied.

"Pashint! Me, pashint! Sure Job was a complainin' mill-wheel beside me,
Sherm Bidwell. Me boarders have shrunk to five and you're one o' the
five--and here you are after another grub-stake to go picnicking into
the mountains wid. I know your smooth tongue--sure I do--but ye're up
against me determination this toime, me prince. Ye don't get a pound o'
meat nor a measure o' flour from Maggie Delaney--"

Bidwell sat with an air of resigned Christian fortitude while the widow
delivered herself. To tell the truth, he had listened to these precise
words before--and resented them only because spoken publicly.

The other boarders finished their supper in silence and went out, but
Bidwell lingered to wheedle the mistress while she ate her own fill at
the splotched and littered table. The kerosene-lamp stood close to her
plate and brought out the glow of her cheek and deepened the blue of her
eyes into violet. She was still on the right side of forty and well
cared for.

Bidwell shot a shy glance at her. "I like to stir you up, Maggie
darlin'; it makes you purty as a girl."

She caught up a loaf of bread and heaved it at him. He caught it deftly
and inquired, guilelessly: "Is this the first of my grub-stake, lassie?"

"It is _not!_ 'Tis the last crumb ye'll have of me. Out wid ye!
Grub-stake indade! You go out this night, me bucko!"

Bidwell rose in pretended fright and shuffled to the door. "I don't need
much--a couple o' sacks o' flour--"

She lifted an arm. "You tramp!"

He slammed the door just in time to prevent a cup from flying straight
into his smiling eyes. After a moment of silent laughter, and with a
wink at the men in the "office," he reopened the door and said:

"Ye're a warm-hearted, handsome girl, Maggie. Two strips o' bacon--"

A muffled cry and a crash caused him to again slam the door and
withdraw.

Coming back to the middle of the room, he took out his pipe and began to
fill it. One of the younger men said:

"You'll get that grub-stake over the eye; the widdy is dangerous
to-night."

Sherm seemed not much concerned. Having fired his pipe, he took a piece
of rock from his pocket. "What do you think o' this?" he inquired,
casually.

The other examined it eagerly, and broke out: "Jee--cripes! Why, say!
that'