“That’s it,” Mrs. Nitschkan radiated self-approbation and satisfaction.  “It made a nice show at the weddin’, didn’t it?  And it has sure been useful to me since.”

But Mrs. Thomas had again absorbed herself in her correspondence, and it is doubtful if she heard these last words.  “Say, Sadie,” she cried presently, a ripple of joyous excitement in her voice, “listen here to what Willie Barker says, ’If you don’t come back soon, I’m a-going to lay right down an’ die, or maybe take my own life.’”

“Then you’ll stay right on here,” said Mrs. Nitschkan shortly but emphatically.  “Such a chanst as that’s not to be missed.”

Mrs. Thomas pouted, “But, honest, can’t we pretty soon leave these old prospects that you’re a-nursin’ along to salt an’ get ready to palm off on some poor Easterner?”

The gypsy took a long draught of coffee, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand.  “Your ungratefulness’ll strike in and probably kill you, Marthy Thomas.  Here I burdened myself with you to save your life insurance and the nice little property Seth left you from a pack of wolves in the camp that’s after them, an’ not you, an’ what thanks do I get?  All these months I been workin’ like the devil to convert you an’ Jose, an’ as far as either of you’s concerned, I might a darned sight better have put in my time tryin’ to save the soul of a flea.  You couldn’t even let a poor, God-forsaken robber like Jose alone.  Don’t you know that if you get a thousand husbands they’ll all treat you as bad or worse’n Seth did?”

“He’s an angel in heaven right now an’ don’t you dare say a word against him, Sadie Nitschkan,” cried Mrs. Thomas defensively, “but he was a devil all the same.”

“They’ll all be devils,” returned Mrs. Nitschkan fatalistically.  “They’s no man can stand seein’ a feather pillow around all the time an’ not biff it, especially when it can turn on a gallon of tears any time of the day or night.”

Mrs. Thomas made no effort to refute this last aspersion.  Instead, she began to weep loudly and unrestrainedly.  “Bob Martin says in his letter that he hopes I’m havin’ a pleasant time,” she sobbed.  “He don’t know the loneliness, not to say the danger, of being snowed up in these mountains with a woman that ain’t got no more feelin’ than to skin you alive whenever she’s a mind to.  I ain’t afraid of gentlemen, even husbands, but sometimes when you get to jawin’ me, Sadie, with a gun in your hand, it makes my poor heart go like that, an’ I crawl all over with goose-flesh.”

Fortunately, the thaws continued, and if no great quantity of snow fell between now and then, the first passenger train was scheduled to run through on the day that Pearl would dance, but Bob Flick, by some method known to himself, had succeeded in making his journey on the engine, and thus arrived at Gallito’s cabin several days before he was expected, looking a little more worn than usual and faintly anxious, an expression which speedily disappeared as he saw the radiant health and spirits of Pearl.  As for her, she was unfeignedly glad to see him.