“Well, well,” said the Sergeant. “This sure is a pleasure. Why, I might have known you again if only from your voice.”
She laughed with a deep, musical, mischievous chuckle, like a boy whose voice is breaking.
“Same here,” she said, with emphasis. “Though I’ve never had the pleasure of hearing yours in song before. Why, you must be the Mounted Policeman I often hear Mr. Trainer speaking of? I never thought to connect you with the same man on the black horse that time last year.”
“Sure,” he answered, grinning. “Only I hope Dave doesn’t libel me as badly as some of ’em do, for I’m very sensitive. My name’s Benton—Sergeant Benton.”
Her dark eyes flashed roguishly and, drawing off a gauntlet, she held out her hand with a frank, impulsive camaraderie and grasped his with a warm, strong clasp.
“My Good Samaritan,” she said simply. “I’m very glad to know you and, since introductions are going, suffice it to say my name’s O’Malley—Mary O’Malley—and I originally hail from New York. At present I’m companion to Mrs. Trainer, governess to her children—what you will.”
He nodded. “Well,” he said, “since you’ve been kind enough to confer the title of ‘Good Samaritan’ on me, I must make good on the best this poor house can offer you.”
And he bustled through into the kitchen. “No, no,” he protested laughingly, as she arose with an offer of help and made as if to follow him. “You be good, now, and stay right where you are. You may run things at Dave Trainer’s, but I won’t have you butting around my kitchen. Oh, I’m quite a competent cook, I can assure you.”
She gave a little comical grimace of despair. “Oh, very well, then,” she said. “I’ll just stay here and sulk instead.”
And she began to wander around the room, examining all his military accouterments, pictures, and curios, with a lively, almost childlike, interest, calling out from time to time “What this was for?” and “What that was?” etc. Then, suddenly seating herself at the piano, she lifted up a great, rollicking voice and, in an amusing, exaggerated Hibernian brogue, commenced to sing “Th’ Waking of Pat Malone”: