Katrina did not think it necessary to respond; so replenished his
cup without speaking.

"Maybe the person she met was an old lady who had difficulty in
walking," the seine-maker went on in the same offhand manner, "and
maybe she stumbled and fell when Glory Goldie came along."

"Would that be anything to write about?" asked Katrina, weary of
this senseless talk.

"But suppose Glory Goldie stopped and helped the old lady up?"
pursued the seine-maker, "and she was so thankful to the girl for
helping her that she opened her purse and gave her all of ten
rix-dollars--wouldn't that be worth telling?"

"Why certainly," said Katrina, "if it were true. But this is just
something you're making up."

"It is well, sometimes, to be able to indulge in little thought
feasts," contended the seine-maker, "they are often more satisfying
than the real ones."

"You've tried both kinds," returned Katrina, "so you ought to know."

The seine-maker went his way directly, and Katrina gave no further
thought to his story.

As for Jan, he took it at first as idle chatter. But lying abed,
with nothing to take up his mind, presently he began to wonder if