there might be that sort of thing in Canada, you know--we certainly read
of Northern Lights. Very strange that our train isn't here!"

The Yankee took the trouble to reply again, hardly moving a muscle of
his face. "Keep a good heart, marm; it may come along yet, a-ridin' on
these same Northern Lights."

"Riding on--? I beg your pardon--on what, did you say?" she asked
eagerly.

At this the grey-eyed girl who had been frightened in the night plucked
her by the sleeve and pulled her away. "Don't you see he's making fun of
you, mamma?"

Besides the grey-eyed girl, who wore short frocks, there were two other
girls in the first bloom of young-womanhood. One of these, having
overheard the conversation, ran and told the other.

"Just because we happened to read of such a thing in that book of
Asiatic travel! Isn't it absurd? And there's papa fuming at the other
end of the station."

Both girls giggled.

"I know _quite_ well that people will think us all crazy," urged the
first speaker. Then they laughed again, not unhappily.

"There's not a doubt of it," gasped the other.

These two girls were very much alike, but one wore a red cloak and the