She was left alone for at least a quarter of an hour, and it reminded her of a long wait she had undergone in the reception-room of the hospital. Then, as now, she had feared the unknown, had shivered at the thought that presently she would be in the hands of strange people who might or not be friendly, and be lost among a ma.s.s of suffering humanity. Twice she heard the runners of sleighs creaking on the ground, and her heart began to beat, but the sounds faded away. Joe, the station agent, came in and asked her civilly whether she was warm enough, telling her that outside it was forty below. Wood was cheap, he told her, and he put more sticks in the devouring stove. After she had thanked him and given him the check for her little trunk he vanished again, and she listened to the telegraph sounder.
Stefan, returning, was hailed at the door of the store by Sophy McGurn.
"Who"s the strange lady, Stefan?" she asked, most innocently.
"It"s a leddy vhat is expectin" Hugo Ennis," he answered.
"How queer!" said the girl, airily.
"Ay dunno," answered the Swede. "Vhen Hugo he do a thing it ain"t nefer qveer, Ay tank."
She turned away and Stefan stepped over to the depot and opened the door. Madge looked up, startled and again afraid. It was a relief to her to see Stefan"s friendly face. She had feared.... She didn"t know what she dreaded so much--perhaps a face repellent--a man who would look at her and in whose eyes she might discern insult or contempt.
The big Swede held an armful of heavy clothing.
"Ye can"t stay here, leddy," he said. "You come ofer to my house since Ennis he no coming. Dese clothes is from my ole vomans. Mebbe ye look like--like de dooce in dem, but dat"s better as to freeze to death. An you vants a big breakfa.s.s so you goes vid me along. Hey dere! Joe! If Ennis he come you tell him come ofer to me, ye hear?"
A few minutes later Madge was trudging over the beaten snow by the side of her huge companion. Her head was ensconced within the folds of a knitted shawl and over her thin cloak she wore an immense mackinaw of flaming hues whose skirts fell "way below her knees.
Over her boots, protestingly, she had drawn on an amazing pair of things made of heavy felt and ending in thick rubber feet, that were huge and unwieldy. Her hands were lost in great scarlet mitts. It is possible that at this time there was little feminine vanity left in her, yet she looked furtively to one side or the other, expecting scoffing glances. She felt sure that she looked like one of the fantastically-clad ragam.u.f.fins she had seen in the streets of New York, at Christmas and Thanksgiving. But the pair met but one or two Indian women who wore a garb that was none too aesthetic and who paid not the slightest attention to them, and a few men who may possibly have wondered but, with the instinctive civility of the North, never revealed their feelings.
As a matter of fact she had hardly believed in this cold, at first.
The station agent"s announcement had possessed little meaning for her.
There was no wind; the sun was shining brightly now; during the minute she had remained on the station platform she had felt nothing unusual.
As a matter of fact she had enjoyed the keen brisk air after the tepid stuffiness of the cars. But presently she began to realize a certain tingling and sharp quality of the air. The little of her face that was exposed began to feel stiff and queer. Even through the heavy clothing she now wore she seemed to have been plunged in a strange atmosphere.
For an instant, after she finally reached Stefan"s house, the contrast between the cold outside and the warm living-room, that was also the kitchen, appeared to suffocate her.
A tall stout woman waddled towards her, smiling all over and bidding her a good-day. She helped remove the now superfluous things.
"De yoong leddy she come all de vay from Nev York, vhat is a real hot country, I expect," explained Stefan, placidly and inaccurately. "Sit down, leddy, an haf sometings to eat. You needs plenty grub, good an"
hot, in dem cold days. Ve sit down now. Here, Yoe, and you, Yulia, come ofer an" talk to de leddy! Dem"s our children, ma"am, and de baby in de grib."
Madge was glad to greet the rosy, round-cheeked children, who advanced timidly towards her and stared at her out of big blue eyes.
Hesitatingly she took the seat Stefan had indicated with a big thumb, and suddenly a ravenous hunger came upon her. The great pan full of sizzling bacon and fat pork; the steaming and strongly scented coffee; the great pile of thick floury rolls taken out of the oven, appeared to const.i.tute a repast fit for the G.o.ds. Stefan and his family joined hands while the mother asked a short blessing, during which the children were hard put to it to stop from staring again at the stranger.
"And so," ventured the good wife, amiably, "you iss likely de sister from Hugo Ennis, ma"am?"
Madge"s fork clattered down upon her enamel-ware plate.
"No," she said. "I--of course I"m not his sister."
"Excoose me. He don"t nefer tell n.o.body as he vas marrit, Hugo didn"t.
Ve vas alvays tinking he vos a bachelor mans, yoost like most of dem young mans as come to dese countries."
"But--but I"m not his wife, either!" cried Madge, nervously.
"I--I don"t yoost understand, den," said the good woman, placidly.
"Oh! mebbe you help grub-stake him vhile he vork at de rocks for dat silfer and you come see how he gettin" along. Ve tank he do very vell."
"Yes, Hugo he got some ore as is lookin" very fine, all uncofered alretty," Stefan informed her. "Und it"s such a bretty place he haf at de Falls."
The man doubtless referred to the scenery but Madge was under the impression that he was speaking of the house in which this Ennis lived. It was strange that he had said nothing to these people, who evidently knew him well, in regard to the reason of her coming. It was probably a well-meant discretion that had guided his conduct, she thought, but it had caused her some little embarra.s.sment.
"In his letter Mr. Ennis said that I was to come straight to this place, to Carcajou. He told me that I would be taken to his house at Roaring River Falls, that I might see it. I--I suppose there is a village up there or--or some houses, where I may stay."
Stefan stared at her, scratching his touzled yellow head, and turned to his wife, who was looking at him as she poised a forkful of fat bacon in the air, forgetfully.
"Maybe de leddy means Papineau"s," he said. "But if Hugo Ennis he say for her to come then it is all right, sure. Hugo vould do only vhat is right. He is my friend. He safe my life. So if he don"t turn up by de time ve finish breakfast I hitch up dem togs an" take you dere real qvick. Mebbe he can"t come for you, some vay. Mebbe Maigan hurt or sick so he can"t pull toboggan. You vant to go, no?"
"I--I suppose so," faltered the girl. "I--I must see him, as soon as possible, and--and...."
"Dat"s all right," interrupted Stefan. "So long you vants to go I take you up dere. No trouble for to do anyting for Hugo and his friends. De dogs is strong an" fresh. Ve go up there mighty qvick, I bet you, ma"am."
Mrs. Olsen was not used to question her husband"s decisions. There seemed to be something rather mysterious about all this, but she was a placid soul who could wait in peace for the explanation that would doubtless be forthcoming. Anyway there was Papineau"s house about a mile away from the Falls, and the girl could find shelter there. She smiled at her guest pleasantly and urged her to eat more. For some minutes Madge"s appet.i.te had forsaken her. But the temptation of good food in abundance overcame her alarm. She felt the comfort of a quiet, G.o.d-fearing, civil-spoken household. They were rough people, in their way, but they seemed so genuine, so friendly, so full of the desire to help her and put her at her ease, that she was again rea.s.sured. Her hunger a.s.sailed her and she ate what she considered a huge breakfast, though Stefan Olsen"s family seemed to wonder at her scanty ability to dispose of the things they piled upon her plate. When large brown griddle-cakes were finally placed before her she could eat but a single one.
"Mebbe," said the good woman, "in Nev York you ain"t used to tings like ve country people have."
Used to them, forsooth! Indeed she had not been used to such things.
She remembered the small bottles of bluish milk, the b.u.t.ter doled out in yellow lumps of strong taste, the couple of rolls that would make a meal, the cup of tea or coffee of pale hue, the bits of meat she could afford but once in several days. No, indeed she had not been used to such things, in the last two years.
"Vhen you stays in dis c.o.o.ntry for a vhiles den you can eat like a goot feller and not like a little bird," Stefan a.s.sured her, comfortingly. "Den you get nice and fat, and red on de cheeks, and strong."
Mrs. Olsen was still smiling at her, as she sat with plump hands folded on an ample stomach. The two children had become used to her and came near. A seat was given to her near the stove. Lack of sleep during the two hard nights spent on the train caused her head to nod, once or twice.
"Mebbe you vants to rest a bit before ve goes," suggested Stefan.
"Dere"s plenty time if you like."
But this roused her to alert attention. She must go, at once, for all this suspense and uncertainty must be ended. For some happy moments she had thought no more of the man who was expecting her. The comfort she had enjoyed had temporarily banished him from her thoughts.
"No--oh, no!" she cried. "I--I"ll be glad to leave as soon as you are ready to take me!"
At this moment she became keenly puzzled. She still had a very few dollars in her purse and wondered whether she ought to offer payment for her meal. Instinct wisely prompted her to keep the little pocketbook in her bag. They would undoubtedly have been surprised and perhaps offended.
Stefan drew on his great Dutch stockings and pulled his fur cap over his ears. An instant after he had left the room Madge heard loud barking. As she looked out of the window, scratching off a little of the frost that covered the panes, she saw the big Swede surrounded by five large dogs which he was. .h.i.tching to a toboggan. Then he got on the thing and the animals galloped away. A few minutes later he returned, with her small trunk lashed to the back part of the sled. He entered the house and took a straw-filled pillow and a huge bearskin and bore them out.
In the meanwhile Mrs. Olsen was helping Madge to resume her outlandish garb.
"Mebbe Mr. Ennis he not know you vhen you come so all wrapped up.
Mebbe he tink it is a bear. Yes, put dis on too, you vants it all,"
she declared. "It"s all of twelve mile out dere. If you not need de tings no longer, by and by you send "em back. It"s all right. I no need "em. Yoost keep "em so long vhat you like. Didn"t Hugo Ennis tell you bring varm clothes vid you?"
"No," said Madge. "I--I don"t think he spoke of them."
"Mens is awful foolish some times," a.s.serted the good woman. "Dey pay no attention to tings everybotty knows all about. I tank Stefan he alretty now, so I say good-by and come again, ma"am. Alvays happy ter see you again vhen you comes, sure."
The little girl came to Madge and rose upon her toes, for a kiss. More timidly the boy only proffered a hand. Mrs. Olsen kissed her pale cheek with a resounding smack.
"Mens is fonny sometimes," she said. "If tings isn"t all right like you expect mebbe at Papineau"s you come back here soon as you finish vhat you haf to do at Roaring Rifer. I haf anodder bed I can fix up in de back room real easy. Good py, ma"am, and look out careful for your nose!"