stefansson-wrangel-09-32-073r

THE STORY OF ADA BLACKJACK 345

stayed in her room afraid to go out—then she ventured into the
street but she feared she would get lost so she walked round and
round the block for exercise, never going out of sight of the hotel.

She felt the damp cold in Seattle very much and had cold after
cold that made her miserable “and I never had cold on Wrangel—
and there it was sometimes forty degrees below zero.”

She is a very feminine person—she likes clothes and new hats.
She dresses in good taste, dark blue suits and blue flannel middies.
She found out by some means that she could go to the juvenile
department of a store and get clothes to fit her that were much
cheaper than grown-up clothes.

One day she started out with twenty dollars to shop. When she
came home she had a dark serge suit, two cotton blouses, two pairs
of tan stockings and a pair of strapped shoes; a straw cloche
and a suit case with fittings. How she did all this on the amount
of money she had is a mystery—but she did it all but ten cents—
she was short on the suit case—“but the man in the store he says
‘never mind the ten cents, take it along anyway’.”

She and Bennett liked the movies. Bill Hart and his horse in-
terested them very much, Bennett shouted aloud at the comedies—
like any American boy—and he was thrilled by the adventures
of Strongheart, the dog hero, among wolves and villains.

In February, Ada was sent to California for a trip, it being
thought that a change in climate and the warm sunshine would
complete Bennett’s cure. Going on such a long trip, into another
strange country seemed quite an undertaking, but Ada decided to
go when she was told that the change would help Bennett, who
was now out of the hospital, tho he was pale and thin and quite
weak. Bennett is always Ada’s first and last thought, now he is
all she has. The maternal interest in her is very strong, whether
it is the strength of the so-called primitive woman, or whether
it comes from the fact that Ada has only a few interests, and her
energies and affections are not dissipated in many directions, as
are those of the more highly civilized women.

Her affections do not overwhelm her or allow her to spoil her
boy by indulgence. He is a very well trained and lovable little
fellow, bright eyed and eager, getting much enjoyment out of every
new thing. She watches him constantly and if she thinks he is