The Black Creek Stopping-House, and Other Stories

afless and bare, trembling and swaying as if in dread of the long winter that would soon be upon them. The harvest had been cut and gathered in, and now, when the weather was fin

ce as the "boys" unhitched their steaming teams and led them to the long, straggling straw-roofed stables. The hay that John Corbett had cut on the meadows of Black Creek and stacked beside the stables was carried in miniature stacks which completely hid the man who carried them into the mangers, while the creaking w

"room" was full of smoking dishes of potatoes and ham and corned beef, and piled high with bread and buns; tin teapots were at each end of the table and w

ich stood on its three legs on the back of the kitchen stove. The same rule applied to the tea and the bread. Also when one had finished his meal the correct plan of procedure wa

re was not a vacant place at the table, the newcomer retired to the window and read the Northern Messenger or the War Cry, which were present in large numbers on the sewing-machine. But before leaving the table conversation zone, it was considered perfectly legitimate to call out in a loud voice: "Some eat fast, some eat long, and some eat both ways," or some such bright and felicitous remark. It was a bitter cold day in November-one of t

pite of a long, cold and very slow ride, the three ladies were in splendid condition, and as soon as they were thawed out enough to talk, and long before their teeth stopped chattering

Rance Belmont was with her more than her own man," said Mrs. Berry, as s

all the young fellows were makin' a lot

dest foot in a wash-basin of water she said, "I don't see how any woman can go the length of her toe with Rance Belmont, but young Mrs. Br

out with Rance Belmont, but maybe that's mostly because we have never had the chance. He's got a pretty nice way with him, Rance has, and I guess if he came along n

nial, and an angry light s

e twisted her hair into a small "nub" about the size,

got his money from England he hasn't done a thing but play cards with them twins and take her round. I don't see how her man can put up with it, but he's an a

ference to the lady stoppers. "It's easy enough for folks like us," waving her knife to include all present, "to be very respectable and never get ourselves talked ab

view. All their lives nothing had happened, and here was a

r, and is pretty near ready to forgive her and Fred and take them back. Wouldn't it

y around the kitchen as if

he ain't a quitter. She'll stay with her own

"if she did go, do you suppose she'd leave a note

rbett washed the white ironstone dishes, she was not nearl

ut she's not the one that will take tellin'-too much like her father for that-and still I kind o' like her for her spunky ways. Rance is a divil,

home with the potato-masher or the rolling-pin, but when duty called

tter to Mr. Robert Gra

any, Toront

ayer her mother used to tell her to say: 'Help papa and mamma and Evelyn to be chums.' When she came to that she broke right down and cried, and says she to me, 'I haven't either of them now!' If you'd a-seen her that day you'd have forgot everything only that she was your girl. Then she sat down and wrote you a long letter, but when she got done didn't she tear it up, because she said you told her you wouldn't read her letters. I saved a bit of the letter for you to see, and here it is. We don't any of us see what made you so mad at the man she got-he's a good fellow, and puts up with all her high temper. She's terrible like yourself, excuse me for saying so and meaning no harm. If she'd married some young scamp that was soaked in whiskey and

s will find you enjoyi

respe

IE CO

but when it was done she felt a great weight had been lifted from her heart.

, with his splendid sorrel pacer, drive into the yard. He came into the house a

the square looking- glass which hung over the oilcloth-covered soap box on which stood the wash-basin and soap saucer. Sh

see Mrs. Brydon far too often,

ugged his

are, or that it's none of my bu

liteness, however true it might be

him a minute, then she

gent!-you'd coax the bi

t you are not doing ri

the way

e same even tone, as he slowly str

ntage of it. That poor lamb can't stand the prairie like us old pelters that's weatherbeaten and gray and

t her, still smiling h

tter than she is gett

ve an exclamati

nd higher, and two red spots burned in her cheeks. "You know as well as I do that there's no happiness for any woman that goes wrong. That woman must stand by her man, and he's a good fellow, Fred is; such a fine, cl

Mrs. Brydon very pleasant company, and M

e knew how the peo

nswered, calmly, "But the opinion of the neighbors has never bo

's eyes flas

irl you were after?" she asked, pausing

by the tone of your voice- and, by the way

h an effort cont

e situation. "What a thrilling headline it would make for the Brandon Sun: 'The Black Creek Stopping-House scene of a brutal murder. Innocent young man struck down in his

in. "But you ain't goin' to do that blessed girl a

nder?" Rance seemed

bett, solemnly, "who comes to h

t?" he ask

tt held up h

d indulgently. "A myth-a name-a superstiti

h her day by day, "and He can hear a mother's prayer, and though I was never a mother after the flesh, I am a mother now to

e Rance Belmont for one brief moment tremble, but he lighted anothe

ar, and many times she heard allusions to her young neighbor which filled her with apprehension. She had carefully counte