ii6 WHEAT AND WOMAN 



came to Maple Grove, then up through that lovely 

 gap of the hills best known as Maloney's coulee. 



" Let us go and call on the Maloneys," suggested 

 Mr. Edwardes, as we reached the top, and away the 

 horses flew on a straight swift gallop to their door. 



The Maloneys' house, which is very seldom spoken 

 of by its orthodox title of French Park, has I think 

 the most beautiful site and prospect of any house on 

 the hills of the Qu'Appelle Valley. Whichever way 

 one looks is Nature in her inspiringly beautiful 

 mood. The windows of the house face southward 

 on to the West Lake and catch the full form of the 

 noble lines of hills, from the heights of which 

 miles and miles of prairie stretch away into the 

 violet heart of the never-never land. 



The house is a comfortable but unpretentious 

 building, an extended rather than glorified shack. 

 The main building is divided into three separate 

 rooms each leading out of the other, behind is the 

 inevitable lean-to kitchen flanked by a useful room 

 which does duty for dairy, larder, and storehouse, 

 and over the kitchen was the hired man's room. 

 It is a proverb throughout the Qu'Appelle terri- 

 tory that there is always a meal in waiting at the 

 Maloneys, and history also relates that on one 

 occasion a party of three walked in very late one 

 night, slept, took breakfast, lit the fire and departed 

 without interviewing either host or hostess ; and 

 the only people who didn't seem just a little sur- 

 prised at so much being taken for granted were the 

 Maloneys. Irish, happy, hospitable, and kind 

 they were always. Mrs. Maloney had come out 

 to Canada as the bride of Captain John French, 

 who was shot whilst in command of his detachment 



