THE　UNEXPECTED
  IT　is　a　simple　matter　to　see　the　obvious；　to　do　the　expected。　　The
  tendency　of　the　individual　life　is　to　be　static　rather　than
  dynamic；　and　this　tendency　is　made　into　a　propulsion　by
  civilization；　where　the　obvious　only　is　seen；　and　the　unexpected
  rarely　happens。　　When　the　unexpected　does　happen；　however；　and　when
  it　is　of　sufficiently　grave　import；　the　unfit　perish。　　They　do　not
  see　what　is　not　obvious；　are　unable　to　do　the　unexpected；　are
  incapable　of　adjusting　their　well…grooved　lives　to　other　and
  strange　grooves。　　In　short；　when　they　come　to　the　end　of　their　own
  groove；　they　die。
  On　the　other　hand；　there　are　those　that　make　toward　survival；　the
  fit　individuals　who　escape　from　the　rule　of　the　obvious　and　the
  expected　and　adjust　their　lives　to　no　matter　what　strange　grooves
  they　may　stray　into；　or　into　which　they　may　be　forced。　　Such　an
  individual　was　Edith　Whittlesey。　　She　was　born　in　a　rural　district
  of　England；　where　life　proceeds　by　rule　of　thumb　and　the　unexpected
  is　so　very　unexpected　that　when　it　happens　it　is　looked　upon　as　an
  immorality。　　She　went　into　service　early；　and　while　yet　a　young
  woman；　by　rule…of…thumb　progression；　she　became　a　lady's　maid。
  The　effect　of　civilization　is　to　impose　human　law　upon　environment
  until　it　becomes　machine…like　in　its　regularity。　　The　objectionable
  is　eliminated；　the　inevitable　is　foreseen。　　One　is　not　even　made
  wet　by　the　rain　nor　cold　by　the　frost；　while　death；　instead　of
  stalking　about　grewsome　and　accidental；　becomes　a　prearranged
  pageant；　moving　along　a　well…oiled　groove　to　the　family　vault；
  where　the　hinges　are　kept　from　rusting　and　the　dust　from　the　air　is
  swept　continually　away。
  Such　was　the　environment　of　Edith　Whittlesey。　　Nothing　happened。
  It　could　scarcely　be　called　a　happening；　when；　at　the　age　of
  twenty…five；　she　accompanied　her　mistress　on　a　bit　of　travel　to　the
  United　States。　　The　groove　merely　changed　its　direction。　　It　was
  still　the　same　groove　and　well　oiled。　　It　was　a　groove　that　bridged
  the　Atlantic　with　uneventfulness；　so　that　the　ship　was　not　a　ship
  in　the　midst　of　the　sea；　but　a　capacious；　many…corridored　hotel
  that　moved　swiftly　and　placidly；　crushing　the　waves　into　submission
  with　its　colossal　bulk　until　the　sea　was　a　mill…pond；　monotonous
  with　quietude。　　And　at　the　other　side　the　groove　continued　on　over
  the　land　…　a　well…disposed；　respectable　groove　that　supplied　hotels
  at　every　stopping…place；　and　hotels　on　wheels　between　the　stopping…
  places。
  In　Chicago；　while　her　mistress　saw　one　side　of　social　life；　Edith
  Whittlesey　saw　another　side；　and　when　she　left　her　lady's　service
  and　became　Edith　Nelson；　she　betrayed；　perhaps　faintly；　her　ability
  to　grapple　with　the　unexpected　and　to　master　it。　　Hans　Nelson；
  immigrant；　Swede　by　birth　and　carpenter　by　occupation；　had　in　him
  that　Teutonic　unrest　that　drives　the　race　ever　westward　on　its
  great　adventure。　　He　was　a　large…muscled；　stolid　sort　of　a　man；　in
  whom　little　imagination　was　coupled　with　immense　initiative；　and
  who　possessed；　withal；　loyalty　and　affection　as　sturdy　as　his　own
  strength。
  〃When　I　have　worked　hard　and　saved　me　some　money；　I　will　go　to
  Colorado；〃　he　had　told　Edith　on　the　day　after　their　wedding。　　A
  year　later　they　were　in　Colorado；　where　Hans　Nelson　saw　his　first
  mining　and　caught　the　mining…fever　himself。　　His　prospecting　led
  him　through　the　Dakotas；　Idaho；　and　eastern　Oregon；　and　on　into　the
  mountains　of　British　Columbia。　　In　camp　and　on　trail；　Edith　Nelson
  was　always　with　him；　sharing　his　luck；　his　hardship；　and　his　toil。
  The　short　step　of　the　house…reared　woman　she　exchanged　for　the　long
  stride　of　the　mountaineer。　　She　learned　to　look　upon　danger　clear…
  eyed　and　with　understanding；　losing　forever　that　panic　fear　which
  is　bred　of　ignorance　and　which　afflicts　the　city…reared；　making
  them　as　silly　as　silly　horses；　so　that　they　await　fate　in　frozen
  horror　instead　of　grappling　with　it；　or　stampede　in　blind　self…
  destroying　terror　which　clutters　the　way　with　their　crushed
  carcasses。
  Edith　Nelson　met　the　unexpected　at　every　turn　of　the　trail；　and　she
  trained　her　vision　so　that　she　saw　in　the　landscape；　not　the
  obvious；　but　the　concealed。　　She；　who　had　never　cooked　in　her　life；
  learned　to　make　bread　without　the　mediation　of　hops；　yeast；　or
  baking…powder；　and　to　bake　bread；　top　and　bottom；　in　a　frying…pan
  before　an　open　fire。　　And　when　the　last　cup　of　flour　was　gone　and
  the　last　rind　of　bacon；　she　was　able　to　rise　to　the　occasion；　and
  of　moccasins　and　the　softer…tanned　bits　of　leather　in　the　outfit　to
  make　a　grub…stake　substitute　that　somehow　held　a　man's　soul　in　his
  body　and　enabled　him　to　stagger　on。　　She　learned　to　pack　a　horse　as
  well　as　a　man；　…　a　task　to　break　the　heart　and　the　pride　of　any
  city…dweller；　and　she　knew　how　to　throw　the　hitch　best　suited　for
  any　particular　kind　of　pack。　　Also；　she　could　build　a　fire　of　wet
  wood　in　a　downpour　of　rain　and　not　lose　her　temper。　　In　short；　in
  all　its　guises　she　mastered　the　unexpected。　　But　the　Great
  Unexpected　was　yet　to　come　into　her　life　and　put　its　test　upon　her。
  The　gold…seeking　tide　was　flooding　northward　into　Alaska；　and　it
  was　inevitable　that　Hans　Nelson　and　his　wife　should　he　caught　up　by
  the　stream　and　swept　toward　the　Klondike。　　The　fall　of　1897　found
  them　at　Dyea；　but　without　the　money　to　carry　an　outfit　across
  Chilcoot　Pass　and　float　it　down　to　Dawson。　　So　Hans　Nelson　worked
  at　his　trade　that　winter　and　helped　rear　the　mushroom　outfitting…
  town　of　Skaguay。
  He　was　on　the　edge　of　things；　and　throughout　the　winter　he　heard
  all　Alaska　calling　to　him。　　Latuya　Bay　called　loudest；　so　that　the
  summer　of　1898　found　him　and　his　wife　threading　the　mazes　of　the
  broken　coast…line　in　seventy…foot　Siwash　canoes。　　With　them　were
  Indians；　also　three　other　men。　　The　Indians　landed　them　and　their
  supplies　in　a　lonely　bight　of　land　a　hundred　miles　or　so　beyond
  Latuya　Bay；　and　returned　to　Skaguay；　but　the　three　other　men
  remained；　for　they　were　members　of　the　organized　party。　　Each　had
  put　an　equal　share　of　capital　into　the　outfitting；　and　the　profits
  were　to　he　divided　equally。　　In　that　Edith　Nelson　undertook　to　cook
  for　the　outfit；　a　man's　share　was　to　be　her　portion。
  First；　spruce　trees　were　cut　down　and　a　three…room　cabin
  constructed。　　To　keep　this　cabin　was　Edith　Nelson's　task。　　The　task
  of　the　men　was　to　search　for　gold；　which　they　did；　and　to　find
  gold；　which　they　likewise　did。　　It　was　not　a　startling　find；　merely
  a　low…pay　placer　where　long　hours　of　severe　toil　earned　each　man
  between　fifteen　and　twenty　dollars　a　day。　　The　brief　Alaskan　summer
  protracted　itself　beyond　its　usual　length；　and　they　took　advantage
  of　the　opportunity；　delaying　their　return　to　Skaguay　to　the　last
  moment。　　And　then　it　was　too　late。　　Arrangements　had　been　made　to
  accompany　the　several　dozen　local　Indians　on　their　fall　trading
  trip　down　the　coast。　　The　Siwashes　had　waited　on　the　white　people
  until　the　eleventh　hour；　and　then　departed。　　There　was　no　course
  left　the　party　but　to　wait　for　chance　transportation。　　In　the
  meantime　the　claim　was　cleaned　up　and　firewood　stocked　in。
  The　Indian　summer　had　dreamed　on　and　on；　and　then；　suddenly；　with
  the　sharpness　of　bugles；　winter　came。　　It　came　in　a　single　night；
  and　the　miners　awoke　to　howling　wind；　driving　snow；　and　freezing
  water。　　Storm　followed　storm；　and　between　the　storms　there　was　the
  silence；　broken　only　by　the　boom　of　the　surf　on　the　desolate　shore；
  where　the　salt　spray　rimmed　the　beach　with　frozen　white。
  All　went　well　in　the　cabin。　　Their　gold…dust　had　weighed　up
  something　like　eight　thousand　dollars；　and　they　could　not　but　be
  contented。　　The　men　made　snowshoes；　hunted　fresh　meat　for　the
  larder；　and　in　the　long　evenings　played　endless　games　of　whist　and
  pedro。　　Now　that　the　mining　had　ceased；　Edith　Nelson　turned　over
  the　fire…building　and　the　dish…washing　to　the　men；　while　she　darned
  their　socks　and　mended　their　clothes。
  There　was　no　grumbling；　no　bickering；　nor　petty　quarrelling　in　the
  little　cabin；　and　they　often　congratulated　one　another　on　the
  general　happiness　of　the　party。　　Hans　Nelson　was　stolid　and　easy…
  going；　while　Edith　had　long　before　won　his　unbounded　admiration　by
  her　capacity　for　getting　on　with　people。　　Harkey；　a　long；　lank
  Texan；　was　unusually　friendly　for　one　with　a　saturnine　disposition；
  and；　as　long　as　his　theory　that　gold　grew　was　not　challenged；　was
  quite　companionable。　　The　fourth　member　of　the　party；　Michael
  Dennin；　contributed　his　Irish　wit　to　the　gayety　of　the　cabin。　　He
  was　a　large；　powerful　man；　prone　to　sudden　rushes　of　anger　over
  little　things；　and　of　unfailing　good…humor　under　the　stress　and
  strain　of　big　things。　　The　fifth　and　last　member；　Dutchy；　was　the
  willing　butt　of　the　party。　　He　even　went