_February, 1912._

DEAR MRS. CONEY,--

... This time I want to tell you about a "stocking-leg" dinner which I
attended not long ago. It doesn't sound very respectable, but it was
one of the happiest events I ever remember.

Mrs. Louderer was here visiting us, and one afternoon we were all in
the kitchen when Gavotte came skimming along on the first pair of
snowshoes I ever saw. We have had lots of snow this winter, and many of
the hollows and gullies are packed full. Gavotte had no difficulty in
coming, and he had come for the mail and to invite us to a feast of "ze
hose." I could not think what kind of a dinner it could be, and I did
not believe that Mr. Stewart would go, but after Gavotte had explained
how much easier it was now than at any other time because the
hard-packed snow made it possible to go with bobsleds, I knew he would
go. I can't say I really wanted to go, but Mrs. Louderer took it for
granted that it would be delightful, so she and Mr. Stewart did the
planning. Next morning Gavotte met Mrs. O'Shaughnessy and invited her.
Then, taking the mail, he went on ahead to blaze a trail we should
follow with the sleds. We were to start two days later. They planned we
could easily make the trip in a day, as, with the gulches filled with
snow, short cuts were possible, and we could travel at a good pace, as
we would have a strong team. To me it seemed dangerous, but
dinner-parties have not been so plenty that I could miss one. So, when
the day came on which we were to start, we were up betimes and had a
mess-box packed and Mr. Stewart had a big pile of rocks hot. We all
wore our warmest clothes, and the rest carried out hot rocks and