The Lure of the North

dge of Farnam's orchard they stopped and looked about. An extensive clearing had been cut out of the forest, the evening was clear and cold, and the pines threw lo

ful for irrigation, because he had known the a

ness, and the rattle of a chain rang musically through the shadows as a teamster threw the link

o Agatha. "In the meantime, we want them off the ground before we clean up the pieces the boys have slashed. One gets at t

rs. Farnam interrupted. "You haven't been

pend on your job the more you get. Anyhow, you ought to get more, but I admit you're sometimes badly stung." Then he turned to

en the nights are long." She indicated the teamster. "I see you have hir

told you when he came. H

e's certainly not what the boys call a looker and his face d

a slight limp beside his horses as they hauled the log across

he agreed, and asked: "

Farnam replied, indicating a wooden building at some distance from the house. "Howev

d at being left without a man in the house, Farnam took

he managers, she quakes if a door rattles on a windy night. One's rather safer in our homestead than a Montreal hotel; but Mabel has lived in the cities and th

ing," Mrs. Farnam declared. "She's something of a sport

reak in, all you need do would be to pretend you were asleep. Everybody in the neighborhood know

Farnam made Agatha come with her while she examined the fastenings of the doors and windows. The house was low and the roof of the veranda in front reached nearly to the

ss. Still they helped her to picture the life he had led in the wilds, and she read them often, trying to follow on a map his wanderings in search of the lode. They told her more a

The house was quiet and she imagined Mrs. Farnam was asleep; but it was snowing, for she heard the flakes beat upon the window. Looking round the comfortable ro

irs she heard somebody moving about, but it was not like Mabel's step. The movements seemed cautious, and there was something awkward about them. Agatha, who wore felt-soled slippers, stopped and listened, while her heart beat fast. She heard nothing now, but

h slipped back with a jar that sounded horribly loud, and she waited, trembling and trying to keep calm. Since Mabel had not heard the noise, it was plain that she was asl

This, however, might be a trick of her imagination, and although she wanted to steal away, she knew that if she did so she would lose her self-respect and the confi

ross the room she saw that the drawer of a small writing-table had been pulled out. Then the beam passed on and touched a man kneeling beside her open trunk. The clothes she had not u

his coarse, dirty hands. She knew him, for he was the teamster she had seen in the orchard. The beam th

't move from where you are,"

noise. The light spread and showed her standing with the pistol in her hand, but when she risk

ash," she said quietly and was glad

waited, watchi

you taken?"

e was nothing

ell for much and I have no jewelry." Then she raised

hough she thought she had noted a curious shrinking when

new Mr. Farnam is away, but the pistol magazine is full. To begi

ipe, a tobacco tin, and t

I've corralled

For all that, you can leave the t

. You hadn't fixed the

t seemed to recognize that the advantage was with her. This was lucky

t by the window you opened. Walk down the passa

ened to the side. The hinges were in good order

Agatha. "I'll sh

Then she closed the window and fastened the shutter in frantic haste, and afterwards leaned against the wall, trembling and br

he floor; her trunk was empty and the clothes it had held were scattered. The man had obviously been searching for something, and this was curious, because one would not expect to find jewelry in a writing-table, and a bureau with three or four drawers had n

en way because he was cool enough to see that he was in her power and resistance would lead to his getting shot. Yet he had seemed to shrink when he heard her voice. She reflected with faint amusement that her voice was not harsh, and she had s

shown that she was ready to shoot. It looked as if she had the nerve and confidence to face a crisis, which was satisfactory, since she would need these qualities when she traveled through the wilds. She had, however, long trained herself for this object; in fact, as far as possible, she made her life a preparation for the adventurous journey. Then she remembered