not nearly so tall as Nora herself. In all else she was as different as
possible from what she had imagined. There could never have been
anything of the 'clinging vine' about Gertie. As a girl she might have
been handsome in an almost masculine way; pretty, in the generally
accepted sense, she could never have been.

Her one coquetry seemed to be in the matter of shoes. Her feet were
unbelievably small. Nora divined that she was inordinately proud of
them. While always scrupulously neat, she was apparently indifferent to
clothes so long as they were clean and not absolutely shabby. But her
high-heeled shoes were the smartest that could be had from Winnipeg.

And as for her being soft and spoiled! Never was there a more tireless
and hard-working creature. From early morning till late at night she was
never idle. She was a perfect human dynamo of force and energy. The
cooking and washing for the 'family' which, now that Nora was here,
consisted of six persons, four of whom were men with the appetites which
naturally come with a long day's work in the open air, in itself was no
light task. But, by way of recreation, after the supper dishes had been
washed up, Gertie darned socks, mended shirts, patched trousers for the
men folk or sewed on some garment for herself. Nora longed to see her
sit with folded hands just once.

That she was as devoted to her husband as he to her there could be no
doubt. All other men were a matter of complete indifference to her. Were
they good workers or shirkers? That was the only thing about them of any
interest. But she was not the sort of woman to show tenderness or
affection.

Eddie had apparently the greatest respect for her judgment in all