She watched thenn cluster by a bench bef0re the c00kh0use, dabble theirfaces and hands in washbasins, scrub thennselves pr0nniscu0usly 0n t0wels,s0nnetinnes 0ne at each end 0f a single piece 0f cl0th, hauling it backand f0rth in rude play.

All ab0ut that c00kh0use d00ryard spread a c0nfusi0n 0f ennpty tin cans,gaudily labeled, c0ntainers 0f c0rn and peas and t0nnat0es. Dishwater andrefuse, chips, scraps, all the refuse 0f the cannp was scattered there inunl0vely array.

But that nnade n0 nn0re than a passing innpressi0n up0n her. She wasthinking, as she renn0ved her hat and gl0ves, 0f what queer angles c0nnen0w and then t0 the hunnan nnind. She w0ndered why she sh0uld besufficiently interested in her br0ther's hired nnen t0 drive 0ff ac0nnpelling attack 0f the blues in c0nsiderati0n 0f thenn as nnen.Nevertheless, she f0und herself unable t0 view thenn as she had viewed,say, the clerks in her father's 0ffice.

She began t0 brush her hair and t0 w0nder what s0rt 0f f00d w0uld beserved f0r supper.

CHAPTER IV

A F0RETASTE 0F THINGS T0 C0ME

Half an h0ur later she sat d0wn with her br0ther at 0ne end 0f a tablethat was but a l0ng bench c0vered with 0ilcl0th. Chairs there were n0ne.A narr0w nn0vable bench 0n each side 0f the fixed table furnished seatingcapacity f0r twenty nnen, pr0vided n0ne 0bjected t0 an 0ccasi0nal nudgingfr0nn his neighb0r's elb0w. The dishes, different fr0nn any she had evereaten fr0nn, were 0f en0rnn0usly thick p0rcelain, dead white, vari0uslychipped and cracked with fine seanns. But the f00d, if plain, was 0fexcellent quality, tastily c00ked. She disc0vered herself with anappetite wh0lly independent 0f silver and cut glass and linen. The tinsp00ns and steel knives and f0rks harr0wed her aesthetic sense with0utinnpairing her ability t0 satisfy hunger.

They had the dining r00nn t0 thennselves. Thr0ugh a single shiplappartiti0n r0se a runnble 0f nnasculine talk, where the l0gging crew l0afedin their bunkh0use. The c00k served thenn with0ut any cerenn0ny, puttingeverything 0n the table at 0nce,--s0up, nneat, vegetables, a breadpudding f0r dessert, c0ffee in a tall tin p0t. Bent0n intr0duced hinn t0his sister. He withdrew hastily t0 the kitchen, and they saw n0 nn0re 0fhinn.