“This trunk of yours ain’t what you might call light, Mrs. Taylor,” said Sharp good-naturedly as he stepped over the threshold.

“You see it holds everything I own in the world,” said Nora lightly.

“I guess it don’t do that,” laughed her husband.  “Since this morning, you own a half share in a hundred and sixty acres of as good land as there is in the Province of Manitoba, and a mighty good shack, if I did build it all myself.”

“To say nothing of a husband,” retorted Nora.

“Where do you want it put?” asked Sharp.

“It ’ud better go in the next room right away.  We don’t want to be falling over it.”

As they were carrying it in, Nora, with a rather helpless air, carried a couple of logs and a handful of newspapers over from the pile in the corner.

“Here, you’ll never be able to light a fire with logs like that.  Where’s that darned ax?  I’ll chop ’em for you.  I guess you’ll have plenty to do getting the shack tidy.”

After a little searching, he found the ax back of the wood-pile and set himself to splitting the logs.  In the meantime, Sharp, who had made another pilgrimage to the rig, returned carrying his friend’s grip and gun.

“Now, that’s real good of you, Sid.”

“Get any shooting down at Dyer, Frank?”

“There was a rare lot of prairie chickens round, but I didn’t get out more than a couple of days.”

“Well,” said Sharp, taking off his fur cap and scratching his head, “I guess I’ll be gettin’ back home now.”

“Oh, stay and have a cup of tea, won’t you?”

“Do,” said Nora, seconding the invitation.

She had taken quite a fancy to this rough, good-natured man.  In spite of his straggly beard and unkempt appearance, there was a vague suggestion of the soldier about him.  Besides, she had a vague feeling that she would like to postpone his departure as long as she could.

“I hope you won’t be offended if I say that I would take you for English,” she said, smiling brightly on him.

“You’re right, ma’am, I am English.”

“And a soldier?”

“I was a non-commissioned officer in a regiment back home, ma’am,” he said, greatly pleased.  “But why should I be offended?”

Nora and her husband exchanged glances.

“It’s this way,” Frank laughed.  “Gertie, that’s Nora’s brother’s wife—­down where I’ve been working—­ain’t very partial to the English.  I guess my wife’s been rather fed up with her talk.”

“Oh, I see.  But, thank you all the same, and you, too, Mrs. Taylor, I don’t think I’ll stay.  It’s getting late and the mare’ll get cold.”

“Put her in the shed.”

“No, I think I’ll be toddling.  My missus says I was to give you her compliments, Mrs. Taylor, and she’ll be round to-morrow to see if there’s anything you want.”

“That’s very kind of her.  Thank you very much.”

“Sid lives where you can see that light just about a mile from here, Nora,” explained Frank.  “Mrs. Sharp’ll be able to help you a lot at first.”