The Odds

ver the pastures. Robin lifted his eye

ucepan she was cleaning; her lips

t ended in a clattering walk on the stones of the yard. Through the open

reeting. "Hallo, Fletcher! Come in,

ipped. Somehow it had an official sound. "Hallo

the kitchen. Hi! little

wash her hands. She did not hasten to obey Jack's call, but when she turned to collect gla

traight through to the little parlour, carryi

a sardonic twist that imparted a faintly supercilious expression. His eyes were dark, deep-set, and shrewd. He was a magistrate of some repute in the district, a position which he had attained by sheer unswerving hard

t claim a very close intimacy with him. He merely understood the man's sil

now whether she really liked him or not. Yet had he set his heart upon seeing her safely married to him. There was no other man of his acquaintance to whom he would willingly

on the subject, and then the words had been few and briefly uttered. But to Jack, who had taken the initiative in the matter, they had

ding in the doorway; for Dot was so cold, so aloof in her welcome. He did not see what Hil

er hand to the visitor. "Doesn't

rly prized possession. Hill's rare smi

st," he said. "I am afraid I

ing glance. "You hav

fternoon. We left Wallac

e way?" ques

wanted to see the

ck. "They say all the uncaught criminals f

" sai

" asked Adel

to say, madam." Hill's

ve ridden all the way from Wallacetown to-day you can't go back to Tre

ill turned towards him. "Don't mix it too strong, J

e going to spend the night you'll be able to sleep

ollow up her husband's suggestion. "W

"You are very kind, madam. But I don't lik

imself. And no one else will know. We'll let you leave as early as you like in the morning, but not before. Come, that's settled, isn't it? Go and ge

and hurriedly disappeared

s only a little room, Fletcher, but it's snug. That's the way," as his

"You needn't say it, thanks all the sam

ith an instinctive bracing of the

t was not untinged with anxiety, and

old feller," he said. "

might have disconcerted a younger man and driven him into ill-considered action. But it was not this man's nature to act

ce oddly softened and made human. He was no longer an official, but a man, with fee

the sound of trampling hoofs in the building where Jack's horse wa

. The animal was nibbling carelessly at her arm while she filled the manger with hay. She was talking to him softly, a

The girl within continued to talk to the horse while she provided for his comfort, low words unintelligible to the silent

in her words, "I wish-I wish you and I could go right awa

ctually licked her hair. He

ou're a dear, sympathetic boy! Who taught you to be, I wonder? Not

the stable and came upon Flet