The Black Creek Stopping-House, and Other Stories

d hurled at him, everyone he met noticed how gloomy and burdened he seemed to be; how totall

cause, and told each other

t noon he heard one of the men say to another i

on to the sentence at the tim

day would finish the stacks, and as this was the last threshing to be done in the n

-they would begin again at dayli

nd Evelyn had often said that she was not afraid to stay. He

ind carrying stray flakes of snow began to whistle around the stacks. Th

was covered with loose snow, which began to whirl in gentle, playful eddies. The warmth of the air did not in an

who had been helping, as soon as they had supper, started to make the jour

en, Fred did not wait for his supper, but

sense of failure and defeat. If Evelyn had g

ful; he had done wrong, he told himself, to bring her to such a lonely place-it would hav

of him on the trail, and, quickening his steps, he was surprised to

s leave when you knew I

ghtened to be left

anished at the thought of his wi

trongly object

ay to mind 'er, do w

in Randolph, seeing an opportunity to

iving at?" asked

in again to spend the evenin'-h

cried Fre

ared Randolph. "Everyb

roared lustily for help, and Reginald valiantly strove to save him from Fred

nd him, and soon a misty dizziness in his head told Fred that he had been struck by somet

frightened. Here was a dreadf

to consider wha

, remember," said R

nald, indignantly, "and you can't prove

if he is killed-and see here, here's the jolly part of it. I'll l

tin'-house at the Slough, and then we can prove we weren't

h the storm, very hungry and very cross, but forgetting

up he looked about him trying to remember where he was. Slowly it all came to him, and stiff and sore, he got upon his feet. The

er's words which he had so hotly resented surged over him now with fatal conviction; also the words he had heard at the t

s eyes. He stood for a moment without speaking. H

l magnetic presence drew his gaze. Rance Belmont stood with downcast eyes, the living incarnation of guilt. It was all a pose, of course, but Rance B

's smouldering jealo

oat, and striding forward he landed a smas

inging forward, "for shame!-h

hame!" Fred cried, his

id in a low voice. He made

rds and what they implied. She was conscious of nothing only that Fred had

shoulder and compell

believe-do you dare to be

in her rage

not gain his attention, and the devil in him spoke again, soft, misleadi

ault has all been mine

s. She was conscious of one thought only-Fred had not immediately

ago I believed you to be the noblest man on earth; now I know you for an evil-minded, suspic

our face again, I hope. This is my reward, is it, for giving up everything for you? I boasted of your trust in me a minute

d to Ranc

e to Brandon to-n

t a word or a look at the man, who

ing like triumph on his black face, quickly followed her, and Fred Brydon,