The quarter-breed gazed into her face with a look of undisguised
admiration. "Ah, Miss Elliston, you are beautiful, now--beautiful
always--but, at this moment--radiant--divine--" Chloe seemed not to hear
him.

"And that is to be _my_ work--to awaken the North! To bring to its
people the comforts--the advantages of civilization!"

"The North is too big for you, Miss Elliston. It is too big for _men_.
Pardon, but it is not a woman's land."

The girl's eyes flashed. "Suppose we leave sex out of it, Mr. Lapierre.
They said of my grandfather that 'the harder they fought him, the better
he liked 'em,' and that 'he never knew when he was licked.' Maybe that
is the reason he never was licked, but lived to carry civilization into a
land that was a thousand years deeper in savagery than this land is. And
today civilization--education--Christianity exist where seventy-five
years ago the chance visitor was tortured first and eaten afterward."

Lapierre shrugged. "It is useless to argue. I am in sympathy with your
undertaking. I admire your courage, and the high ideals of your mission.
But, permit me to remind you that your grandfather, whoever he was, was
_not_ a woman. Also, that here, in the North, Christianity and education
have failed to civilize--the educated ones and the converts are worse
than the others."

The girl's eyes darkened and the man noticed the peculiar out-thrust of
the chin. He hastened to change the subject.

"I am glad you have abandoned those plans. They were useless. May I now