ht movement of the figure expressed a wish to
dismount.

"Not yet, missy," said Jeff; "not yet! You'll get blown away, sure! And
then what'll they say? No, honey! I'll take you right in to your papa,
just as ye are!"

A few steps more and Jeff strode into the hall, made his way to
the sitting-room, walked to the sofa, and deposited his burden. The
bear-skin fell back, the shawl fell back, and Jeff--fell back too!
For before him lay a small, slight, but beautiful and perfectly formed
woman.

He had time to see that the meek man, no longer meek, but apparently a
stern uncompromising parent, was standing at the head of the sofa; that
the elderly and nervous female was hovering at the foot, that his aunt,
with every symptom of religious and moral disapproval of his conduct,
sat rigidly in one of the rigid chairs--he had time to see all this
before the quick, hot blood, flying to his face, sent the water into his
eyes, and he could see nothing!

The cause of all this smiled--a dazzling smile though a faint one--that
momentarily lit up the austere gloom of the room and its occupants. "You
must thank this gentleman, papa," said she, languidly turning to her
father, "for his kindness and his trouble. He has carried me here as
gently and as carefully as if I were a child." Seeing symptoms of a
return of Jeff's distress in his coloring face, she added softly, as
if to herself, "It's a great thing to be strong--a greater thing to be
strong AND gentle."

The voice thrilled through Jeff. But into this dangerous human voice
twanged the accents of special spiritual revelation, and called him
to himself again, "Be ye wise as sarpints, but harmless as duvs," said
Jeff's aunt, generally, "and let 'em be thankful ez doesn't aboos the
stren'th the Lord gives 'em, but be allers ready to answer for it at the
bar o' their Maker." Possibly some suggestion in her figure of speech
reminded her of Jeff's forgotten duties, so she added in the same breath
and tone, "especially when transient customers is waiting for their
licker, and Yuba Bill hammerin' on the counter with his glass; and yer
ye stand, Jeff, never even takin' up that wet bar-skin--enuff to give
that young woman her death."

Stammering out an incoherent apology, addressed vaguely to the occupants
of the room, but looking toward the languid goddess on the sofa, Jeff
seized the bear-skin and backed out the door. Then he flew to his room
with it, and then returned to the bar-roo