mind. There is nothing Mr. Stewart likes better than to catch me
unprepared for something. I had been wanting to go to town, and he had
said I might go with him next time he went, if I was ready when he was.
I knew I would not hear one word about the proposed trip, but that only
added to the fun. I had plenty of time to make all preparations; so the
day before they were to start found me with all in readiness. It was
quite early in the spring and the evenings were quite chilly. We had
just finished supper, when we heard a great rumbling, and I knew
neighbors Campbell and McEttrick had arrived on their way to town; so I
began to prepare supper for them. I hadn't expected a woman, and was
surprised when I saw the largest, most ungainly person I have ever met
come shambling toward me.

She was Aggie McEttrick. She is tall and raw-boned, she walks with her
toes turned out, she has a most peculiar lurching gait like a camel's.
She has skin the color of a new saddle, and the oddest straggly
straw-colored hair. She never wears corsets and never makes her waists
long enough, so there is always a streak of gray undershirt visible
about her waist. Her skirts are never long enough either, and she knits
her own stockings. Those inclined can always get a good glimpse of
blue-and-white striped hose. She said, "I guess you are the Missus."
And that was every word she said until I had supper on the table. The
men were busy with their teams, and she sat with her feet in my oven,
eyeing my every movement. I told her we had just had our supper, but
she waited until I had theirs ready before she announced that neither
she nor Archie ate hot biscuits or steak, that they didn't take tea for
supper, preferred coffee, and that neither of them could eat peaches or
honey. So all of my supper was ruled off except the butter and cream.
She went down to their wagons and brought up what she wanted, so Tam
Campbell was the only one who ate my honey and biscuit.