S.wS] FICTION 157 



whom she loved dearly, she walked along, hardly knowing whither 

 she was going. But in her grief she instinctively started back to the 

 young man, who had promised to care for her should her sisters cast 

 her out. Suddenly, while she was thus pensively walking along, she 

 heard the voice of the young man addressing her, saying: "Lo! I 

 followed you near enough to see for myself how your sisters would 

 treat you. Now that they have cast you out, I ask you to come with 

 me to my lodge and be my wife." Having no other present resource, 

 she accepted his offer and the young man led her home in triumph. 

 Now it so happened that the young man was an only son, and his 

 mother was delighted to learn that he had obtained a fine-looking 

 young wife. 



For a time they were undisturbed in their happiness arising from 

 their devotion to each other. But there came an evil day when the 

 3'oung man's mother began to be jcnious of her daughter-in-law, 

 for she felt that the young wife had displaced her in her own son's 

 affections. She felt this the more keenly because up to the time of 

 his marriage he had been devoted to his mother and had not passed 

 his time in the company of other women and men. Now he was 

 attentive to his wife and tried to grant her every wish, although he 

 did not neglect his mother at all on this account. The young man 

 and his wife were accustomed to go away on hunting trips for sev- 

 eral days at a time, and on their return brought much game and 

 meat. But the young man noticed that his mother's manner had 

 changed toward him and his wife, and this troubled him. 



His wife, being a prospective mother, did not accompany him 

 when her term was approaching; but when her husband left he 

 would say to her : " You must be very wary, as I am afraid that my 

 mother may do you harm, for she is very jealous of my love for you. 

 Before Imowing you I loved only her; but now I love you, and of 

 course she feels that you have taken her place. I am afraid that she 

 may do you harm, although I do not think that she will attempt 

 to poison you. But you must be kind to her, and do not let her know 

 what I have told you. Be on your guard at all times." 



At last, without telling his mother the reason, he took his wife 

 away with him to the forest, where he built a lodge and remained. 

 Soon a boy was born to them. 



After a while the young man, wishing to know whether his mother 

 was in need, went to visit her, carrying a large quantity of game. 

 He was not long absent. He made several such trips to his mother. 

 It was his practice to tell his wife just when she should expect him to 

 return, and he did not fail to keep his promise. At last, however, he 

 did not return. Time passed ; his wife anxiously waited for him day 

 after day, but he never returned. She told her son, who had grown 

 to be quite a lad, that his father must be dead or that his mother 



