“What have you got:  a letter?” he asked, turning towards her, his face looking even more thin and drawn than usual.

“No, there were no letters for any of us; ours usually come by way of Montreal and Lake Temiskaming, you know; but this is a sort of special mail, which has been brought by Indians from Maxokama.  But there is a newspaper for you, which shows it is a good thing to be postmaster even of a place so remote as this,” she said with a laugh.

“A newspaper will be a treat indeed.  I think I will get up, Katherine, and sit by the stove in the store; one can’t read a newspaper comfortably in bed.  Besides, you will be wanting to go out delivering the mail.”

“Miles has taken the Seal Cove letters, but there is one for Astor M’Kree that Phil and I will take up this afternoon; the dogs will be glad of a run,” she answered, bringing his garments and arranging them near the bed so that he could slip into them easily.

“Fancy a team of four dogs, a sledge, and two people to carry one letter!” he exclaimed.

“Not quite that,” she responded with a laugh, glad to see that his mood was so cheerful.  “There is a newspaper to go too, and we shall take up a small barrel of flour, with some bacon and sugar.”

“That sounds better at any rate, and I shall be delighted for you to have a run in the sunshine,” ’Duke Radford said, with that thoughtful consideration for others which made his children love him with such an ardent affection.

Katherine had not gone many yards from the door that afternoon before she noticed a difference in the temperature; it was a soft, clinging warmth, which made her glad to unfasten her scarlet cloud, while the glare of the sunshine was becoming paler, as if a mist were rising.

“Phil, the rain is coming; I can smell it, and the dogs can smell it too.  We are in for weather of sorts, I fancy, but Astor M’Kree must get his letter first, even if we have to race for it!” she cried.

“Let’s race, then; the dog’s are willing, and so am I,” replied Phil, who was seated in the sledge among the packages, while Katherine travelled ahead on snowshoes,

And race they did; but already the snow was getting wet and soft on the surface, so that the going was heavy, the sledge cut in deeply, and it was a very tired team of dogs which dropped to the ground in front of the boatbuilder’s house.  Phil set to work hauling out the stores, but Katherine as usual went in to chat with Mrs. M’Kree, who looked upon her visits with the utmost pleasure.

“I expect it is the last time we shall come up by sledge this season,” said Katherine.  “But in case the ice is troublesome, and we can’t get a canoe through for a week or two, we have brought you double stores.”

“That is a good thing, for we are all blessed with healthy appetites up here, and it isn’t pleasant to even think of going on short commons,” replied Mrs. M’Kree.  “But do wait until I’ve read this letter, for there may be news in it, and there is so little of that sort of thing here that we ought to share any tidings from outside that may happen to get through.”