The Mayor, one of the executors of the will of Michael Turley -- the stay-at-home devotee of the liquorous spirit who had willed his rural property to this stern-looking product of the lands bordering Quebec -- held out a hesitant hand of greeting.

The swarthy-faced newcomer, motioning forward the young girl, said, "Mayor, this is Mrs. Mazarine. Shake hands with the Mayor, Mrs. Mazarine."

Joel Mazarine was not speaking loudly -- but as a wild animal might sense danger with an unshakable certainty, the crowd at the station knew by instinct what he said -- and it tensed . . . as if a spirit of repugnance had seized Askatoon's collective heart.

Canadian author Sir Gilbert Parker (1862-1932) was author of The Battle of the Strong and The World for Sale, among many other engaging novels.