THE　WIFE　OF　A　KING。
  I
  ONCE；　WHEN　THE　NORTHLAND　was　very　young；　the　social　and　civic
  virtues　were　remarkably　alike　for　their　paucity　and　their
  simplicity。　When　the　burden　of　domestic　duties　grew　grievous；　and
  the　fireside　mood　expanded　to　a　constant　protest　against　its　bleak
  loneliness；　the　adventurers　from　the　Southland；　in　lieu　of　better；
  paid　the　stipulated　prices　and　took　unto　themselves　native　wives。　It
  was　a　foretaste　of　Paradise　to　the　women；　for　it　must　be　confessed
  that　the　white　rovers　gave　far　better　care　and　treatment　of　them
  than　did　their　Indian　copartners。　Of　course；　the　white　men
  themselves　were　satisfied　with　such　deals；　as　were　also　the　Indian　men
  for　that　matter。　Having　sold　their　daughters　and　sisters　for　cotton
  blankets　and　obsolete　rifles　and　traded　their　warm　furs　for　flimsy
  calico　and　bad　whisky；　the　sons　of　the　soil　promptly　and　cheerfully
  succumbed　to　quick　consumption　and　other　swift　diseases　correlated
  with　the　blessings　of　a　superior　civilization。
  It　was　in　these　days　of　Arcadian　simplicity　that　Cal　Galbraith
  journeyed　through　the　land　and　fell　sick　on　the　Lower　River。　It　was
  a　refreshing　advent　in　the　lives　of　the　good　Sisters　of　the　Holy
  Cross；　who　gave　him　shelter　and　medicine；　though　they　little　dreamed
  of　the　hot　elixir　infused　into　his　veins　by　the　touch　of　their　soft
  hands　and　their　gentle　ministrations。　Cal　Galbraith；　became　troubled
  with　strange　thoughts　which　clamored　for　attention　till　he　laid　eyes
  on　the　Mission　girl；　Madeline。　Yet　he　gave　no　sign；　biding　his　time
  patiently。　He　strengthened　with　the　coming　spring；　and　when　the　sun
  rode　the　heavens　in　a　golden　circle；　and　the　joy　and　throb　of　life　was
  in　all　the　land；　he　gathered　his　still　weak　body　together　and
  departed。
  Now；　Madeline；　the　Mission　girl；　was　an　orphan。　Her　white　father　had
  failed　to　give　a　bald…faced　grizzly　the　trail　one　day；　and　had　died
  quickly。　Then　her　Indian　mother；　having　no　man　to　fill　the　winter
  cache；　had　tried　the　hazardous　experiment　of　waiting　till　the
  salmon…run　on　fifty　pounds　of　flour　and　half　as　many　of　bacon。　After
  that；　the　baby；　Chook…ra；　went　to　live　with　the　good　Sisters；　and　to
  be　thenceforth　known　by　another　name。
  But　Madeline　still　had　kinsfolk；　the　nearest　being　a　dissolute　uncle
  who　outraged　his　vitals　with　inordinate　quantities　of　the　white
  man's　whisky。　He　strove　daily　to　walk　with　the　gods；　and　incidentally；
  his　feet　sought　shorter　trails　to　the　grave。　When　sober　he　suffered
  exquisite　torture。　He　had　no　conscience。　To　this　ancient　vagabond
  Cal　Galbraith　duly　presented　himself；　and　they　consumed　many　words　and
  much　tobacco　in　the　conversation　that　followed。　Promises　were　also
  made；　and　in　the　end　the　old　heathen　took　a　few　pounds　of　dried　salmon
  and　his　birch…bark　canoe；　and　paddled　away　to　the　Mission　of　the
  Holy　Cross。
  It　is　not　given　the　world　to　know　what　promises　he　made　and　what
  lies　he　told…　the　Sisters　never　gossip；　but　when　he　returned；　upon　his
  swarthy　chest　there　was　a　brass　crucifix；　and　in　his　canoe　his　niece
  Madeline。　That　night　there　was　a　grand　wedding　and　a　potlach；　so
  that　for　two　days　to　follow　there　was　no　fishing　done　by　the
  village。　But　in　the　morning　Madeline　shook　the　dust　of　the　Lower　River
  from　her　moccasins；　and　with　her　husband；　in　a　poling…boat；　went　to
  live　on　the　Upper　River　in　a　place　known　as　the　Lower　Country。　And
  in　the　years　which　followed　she　was　a　good　wife；　sharing　her　husband's
  hardships　and　cooking　his　food。　And　she　kept　him　in　straight　trails；
  till　he　learned　to　save　his　dust　and　to　work　mightily。　In　the　end；
  he　struck　it　rich　and　built　a　cabin　in　Circle　City；　and　his
  happiness　was　such　that　men　who　came　to　visit　him　in　his　home…circle
  became　restless　at　the　sight　of　it　and　envied　him　greatly。
  But　the　Northland　began　to　mature　and　social　amenities　to　make　their
  appearance。　Hitherto；　the　Southland　had　sent　forth　its　sons；　but　it
  now　belched　forth　a　new　exodus…　this　time　of　its　daughters。　Sisters
  and　wives　they　were　not；　but　they　did　not　fail　to　put　new　ideas　in　the
  heads　of　the　men；　and　to　elevate　the　tone　of　things　in　ways　peculiarly
  their　own。　No　more　did　the　squaws　gather　at　the　dances；　go　roaring
  down　the　center　in　the　good；　old　Virginia　reels；　or　make　merry　with
  jolly　'Dan　Tucker。'　They　fell　back　on　their　natural　stoicism　and
  uncomplainingly　watched　the　rule　of　their　white　sisters　from　their
  cabins。
  Then　another　exodus　came　over　the　mountains　from　the　prolific
  Southland。　This　time　it　was　of　women　that　became　mighty　in　the　land。
  Their　word　was　law；　their　law　was　steel。　They　frowned　upon　the
  Indian　wives；　while　the　other　women　became　mild　and　walked　humbly。
  There　were　cowards　who　became　ashamed　of　their　ancient　covenants
  with　the　daughters　of　the　soil；　who　looked　with　a　new　distaste　upon
  their　dark…skinned　children；　but　there　were　also　others…　men…　who
  remained　true　and　proud　of　their　aboriginal　vows。　When　it　became　the
  fashion　to　divorce　the　native　wives。　Cal　Galbraith　retained　his
  manhood；　and　in　so　doing　felt　the　heavy　hand　of　the　women　who　had　come
  last；　knew　least；　but　who　ruled　the　land。
  One　day；　the　Upper　Country；　which　lies　far　above　Circle　City；　was
  pronounced　rich。　Dog…teams　carried　the　news　to　Salt　Water；　golden
  argosies　freighted　the　lure　across　the　North　Pacific；　wires　and　cables
  sang　with　the　tidings；　and　the　world　heard　for　the　first　time　of　the
  Klondike　River　and　the　Yukon　Country。
  Cal　Galbraith　had　lived　the　years　quietly。　He　had　been　a　good
  husband　to　Madeline；　and　she　had　blessed　him。　But　somehow　discontent
  fell　upon　him；　he　felt　vague　yearnings　for　his　own　kind；　for　the
  life　he　had　been　shut　out　from…　a　general　sort　of　desire；　which　men
  sometimes　feel；　to　break　out　and　taste　the　prime　of　living。　Besides；
  there　drifted　down　the　river　wild　rumors　of　the　wonderful　El　Dorado；
  glowing　descriptions　of　the　city　of　logs　and　tents；　and　ludicrous
  accounts　of　the　che…cha…quas　who　had　rushed　in　and　were　stampeding　the
  whole　country。　Circle　City　was　dead。　The　world　had　moved　on　up　river
  and　become　a　new　and　most　marvelous　world。
  Cal　Galbraith　grew　restless　on　the　edge　of　things；　and　wished　to　see
  with　his　own　eyes。　So；　after　the　wash…up；　he　weighed　in　a　couple　of
  hundred　pounds　of　dust　on　the　Company's　big　scales；　and　took　a　draft
  for　the　same　on　Dawson。　Then　he　put　Tom　Dixon　in　charge　of　his
  mines；　kissed　Madeline　good…by；　promised　to　be　back　before　the　first
  mush…ice　ran；　and　took　passage　on　an　up…river　steamer。
  Madeline　waited；　waited　through　all　the　three　months　of　daylight。
  She　fed　the　dogs；　gave　much　of　her　time　to　Young　Cal；　watched　the
  short　summer　fade　away　and　the　sun　begin　its　long　journey　to　the
  south。　And　she　prayed　much　in　the　manner　of　the　Sisters　of　the　Holy
  Cross。　The　fall　came；　and　with　it　there　was　mush…ice　on　the　Yukon；　and
  Circle　City　kings　returning　to　the　winter's　work　at　their　mines；　but
  no　Cal　Galbraith。　Tom　Dixon　received　a　letter；　however；　for　his　men
  sledded　up　her　winter's　supply　of　dry　pine。　The　Company　received　a
  letter　for　its　dog…teams　filled　her　cache　with　their　best
  provisions；　and　she　was　told　that　her　credit　was　limitless。
  Through　all　the　ages　man　has　been　held　the　chief　instigator　of　the
  woes　of　woman；　but　in　this　case　the　men　held　their　tongues　and　swore
  harshly　at　one　of　their　number　who　was　away；　while　the　women　failed
  utterly　to　emulate　them。　So；　without　needless　delay；　Madeline　heard
  strange　tales　of　Cal　Galbraith's　doings；　also；　of　a　certain　Greek
  dancer　who　played　with　men　as　children　did　with　bubbles。　Now
  Madeline　was　an　Indian　woman；　and　further；　she　had　no　woman　friend
  to　whom　to　go　for　wise　counsel。　She　prayed　and　planned　by　turns；　and
  that　night；　being　quick　of　resolve　and　action；　she　harnessed　the　dogs；
  and　with　Young　Cal　securely　lashed　to　the　sled；　stole　away。
  Though　the　Yukon　still　ran　free；　the　eddy…ice　was　growing；　and
  each　day　saw　the　river　dwindling　to　a　slushy　thread。　Save　him　who
  has　done　the　like；　no　man　may　know　what　she　endured　in　traveling　a
  hundred　miles　on　the　rim…ice；　nor　may　they　understand　the　toil　and
  hardship　of　breaking　the　two　hundred　miles　of　packed　ice　which
  remained　after　the　river　froze　for　good。　But　Madeline　was　an　Indian
  woman；　so　she　did　these　things；　and　one　night　there　came　a　knock　at
  Malemute　Kid's　door。　Thereat　he　fed　a　team　of　starving　dogs；　put　a
  healthy　youngster　to　bed；　and　turned　his　attention　to　an　exhausted
  woman。　He　removed　her　ice…bound　moccasins　while　he　listened　to　her
  tale；　and　stuck　the　point　of　his　knife　into　her　feet　that　he　might　see
  how　far　they　were　frozen。
  Despite　his　tremendous　virility；　Malemute　Kid　was　possessed　of　a
  softer；　womanly　element；　which　could　win　the　confidence　of　a
  snarling　wolf…dog　or　draw　confessions　from　the　most　wintry　heart。
  Nor　did　he　seek　them。　Hearts　opened　to　him　as　spontaneously　as　flowers
  to　the　sun。　Even　t