The Black Creek Stopping-House, and Other Stories

ydon, alone in the silent little house, stood at the window looking

ing experiments, in spite of Mrs, Corbett's instructions, had left her tired and depressed, for a

fe was as gray and colorless as the bleached-o

with Evelyn, for she had seemed quite contented all the time. He did not know how the many little annoyances had piled up on her; how the utter loneliness of the prairie, with its m

erself grow cold with anger, and the uncontrolled hasty words, bitterer than anything she had ever thought, utterly un

; but he had to go, for he was helping one of the neighbors to t

stify herself. A great wave of self-pity seemed to be

dull gray stretches cruel and menacing, and

voices seemed to sound in the room behind her, trying to tell her something-to warn her-and it was in vain that she tried to shake off their influence. Once or twice she caught a glimpse of

She would tell him that sh

ar came over her at the thought of staying alone. Of course the twins occupied the

d listened, the silence growing more and more oppressive, until at last, overcoming her fears, she went arou

and there was no res

" for it was the custom of the twins to faithfully chronicle the cause of their absence and their probable location

k to her own part of the house

as it faded and paled and died, and then the shades of evening quickly gathered. Turning again to replenish the fire, the darkness of the room startled her. There was a shadow under

t the lamp and hastily drew down the white cotton blind and pinned it close to keep out the great piti

ever; the big packing-box threw a shadow on the wall t

to bring in some from a pile in the yard. Stopping a minute to muster up her courage, she waited at the open

ds of perspiration stood upon her face. Her hands grew numb and useless, and the skin of her head seemed stiff and frozen. Her

se, and tried to muster courage to walk the dis

s of light danced before her tightly-shut eyes. She did not know what she was afraid of; a terrible nameless fear seemed to be clutching at her very hea

he had been waiting for. The silence broke into a thousand screaming

through the horrible silence that followed the

barred it, and heard someone spe

e found herself looking

r-tortured eyes gave

child fear-smitten in the night will hold fas

ly, gently; he built up the fire; he made her a cup of tea; there was that strange and subtle influence in

fears-her loneliness- her quarrel with Fred; she

, discouraged, irritable woman, and became once more the Evelyn Grant w

hborhood gossip said of Rance Belmont-of Mrs. Corbett's dislike of him

spoke, every tone of his voice, every glance of his coal-black eyes, that seemed in some wa

a caress, the tone of his voice implying that she should never be left alone, th

said. "I thought I was very brave until to-night, bu

nk!" he sa

not have stayed away," Evelyn said, wishing to do justice

ce, in tones so like her brothers-in-law that Evelyn laugh

the heavenly

nk-honk of wild geese," she answered. "It does not take much to

them on their way to the Plover Slough and had given Reginald the

ere so like the twins that Evelyn applauded his efforts. Then he told her the story of the cow, and of how the twins, endeavoring to follow the example of some of the Canadians whom th

t his watch it w

ly rising; "it would hardly

ean?" she aske

husband would say if he ca

flushed

know what he thinks of me, and it would make no difference what company he found me in, he would nev

some head high wh

at her with a dull gl

he said, watching the

ad looked at him defiantly. He was wise enough to see he

sence here might be misconstrued. Yes, I want you to go. I was glad to see you; I was never so glad t

le on his face which she

I had better

not believe that I was untrue to him. He believes in me utterly." She drew

ht he had never see

nown that the man who won you must be different from other men. It was only for your sake that I said I must go. I care nothing for his fur

et indignantly as he ar

d Fred Brydon, having heard the last wo