came in sight she hesitated, wondering if it would not be pleasanter to remain outside in the pure fresh air until Miles came, instead of sitting in the hot, stuffy kitchen talking to Mrs. M’Kree.  Then, remembering how solitary was the life of the poor little woman, shut up from month’s end to month’s end with her babies, Katherine decided to get on as quickly as she could and give Mrs. M’Kree the benefit of her society.

Mrs. M’Kree received her literally with open arms, and gave her a hug which nearly took her breath away.  “Oh, I am glad you’ve come yourself!  If the weather had been bad I should have been quite sure of seeing you; but as it was so fine I was desperately afraid you’d send the boys.  But where is the sledge?”

“Miles is coming on with the dogs, but I came forward at a tremendous pace just because the morning was so beautiful, and I wanted to be alone,” Katherine answered, subsiding into a rocking-chair and picking up the M’Kree baby which happened to be nearest.

“Wanted to be alone?  My dear, that doesn’t sound natural in a young girl.  Oh, I hope you are not getting melancholy from all the trouble you’ve had this winter!”

“How can you even think of melancholy and me in the same connection!” protested Katherine with a merry laugh.  “Why, I am a most cheerful person always, and Nellie complains that I live in a perfect whirlwind of high spirits.”

“So you may.  But if you want to go mooning off alone, it is a sure sign that something is wrong, unless indeed you are in love,” and Mrs. M’Kree nodded her head in delight at her own shrewdness.

But Katherine only laughed as she asked:  “Pray, whom do you think I should be likely to fall in love with?  There are so few eligible men in this part of the world.”

“How was I to know but what you left your heart in Montreal last winter?  At least there are men enough there,” Mrs. M’Kree said.  Then she asked anxiously:  “My dear, what is the matter?  You look quite ill.”

Katherine had started to her feet with a look of profound amazement on her face, for at that moment the door of the next room had opened, and another small M’Kree appeared, dragging after him a tin bucket, on which he was raining a shower of resounding blows.

“Where did you get that thing?” she asked with a gasp, instantly recognizing the bucket as identical with the two filled with lard which had been stolen.

Mrs. M’Kree appeared slightly confused, and tried to hide her embarrassment by scolding her offspring.

“Jamie, Jamie, why will you make such a fearful riot?  Miss Radford will run away and never come back if you are not quiet.”

“I don’t care if she does,” replied the juvenile.  He had not yet reached the age when pretty girls become interesting, and the noise he was producing filled him with tremendous satisfaction, so he banged away with renewed ardour.

Katherine crossed the room with a quick step, and, seizing Jamie, swung him up to the window.  “See, here comes Miles,” she said, “and he has some toffee in the sledge.  Run out and ask him to give you some.”