The Wrong Woman

ing explanations. He seemed deficient in that sort of guile which would prompt a man to forefend suspicion of his motives, or else he did not think it necessary, or,

e conclusion that Steve Brown was simply on

cult study; and by the time she had thus learned him she found herself in a most comfortable case. He was really a very simple sort of man to understand, a

, however, that his qualities were of the kind that would easily remain undiscovered by other women. One had to know him. He had been quite a revelation to her, perfectly simple. It was no longer he that seemed strange to her, but rather the adventure itself,-especially when she reflected that it hap

ion had passed across her mind and brought with it a shade of doubt; b

p, there came a pause. After a while he rose to tend the fire, which had burnt low. He scraped the embers together and put

een plenty of opportunity. He went on to explain that he had not caught the horse exactly; he had rather got it without the tr

he now?" She

him. I 've been thinking I ought to go and get him to

she was in this place all on account of the escape of her horse; and yet he had not told

d not have believed she would d

ernly, "why did you not

nk truth is that I thought I wou

itiation, became suddenly aware of the schoolmistress tone in which she had made him

You might be afraid if you knew I was not around-though there is n't any danger of anything. But just now I got to thinkin

hat w

ld n't bring him home by the forelock when I had my arms full of lambs. I caught him just before noon. If he w

could not ride the horse without a saddle even if she dared mount him again, which she wou

ome that way. If you wish to go for him

regarding her seriously. "I could go for him in the morning before I take the sheep

at all, Mr. Brown. There

ing at that star in particular because Steve Brown had called her attention to it by way of proving that he

I ought t

ted. Evidently he had planned this and had no doubts. If a woman is afraid to be alone in the dark, and there is no danger at all, the most considerate course is t

eard. Space and darkness began to demand human attention. Unable to do otherwise, she looked up and contemplated the big blackboard of night, a

illness centres upon you with all the weight of Past, Present, and Future. You are sitting up with the universe. And while you sit there, and ke

guage which, coming so unexpectedly, seemed to make the stars all blink at once. Then fell a hush much deeper than the silence of before. There was a moment of s

t forgetting, fortunately, the lamb. Being inside,

inst the door and braced the other end against the wall opposite where it met the floor. The board was so long that it would not go low enough to catch securely against the door. She managed, howe

. Janet held her breath and got what reassurance she could out of the fact that she was surrounded by walls, between the shrunk boards of which the glare of the fire sho

crack of the whip-lash again, a quicker trampling of hoofs, a louder sound of wheels and chains and a still louder vociferation of commands. Janet could hardly have felt less confidence in that shack if it had

id not open he pushed it harder. It gave a little at the top, but, to her great relief, the

ll piratical-looking figure, was standing between her and the fire; she could see his

had the fire burning better, he straightened up and wandered round to the other side of it. At this, the sinister silhouette, acting as a sort of dissolving view

ball of pop-corn. It was the only sentence Jimmie's mind cared to communicate. As it was the only thing in life worth mentioning, he brought it out upon every occasion; thus it had become recorded on her mind with phonographic unforgettableness, an

o enter, he did so, taking the visitors' chair near the rostrum; and when she asked him, according to the time-honored custom, whether he would not like to address a few words to the school, he did that also, standing his whip up in the corner and giving some very engaging advice upon the subject of education, part of

was a person of quick intelligence who would certainly see any indications of her taking fright at him. She wished to emerge at once, smooth

her pressing it into place, her lifting only made it grip tighter. It resisted her best efforts.

breathed Jan

rd moved only to make a noise that was amazing. The method of its surprising operation was like the stuttering of a stick when it is rubbed endwise on a box; but as this was a board and as it operated against a rumbly shack, it reverberated like a giant drum; it was an excellent apparatus

was, she might as well get through with it and show herself promptly

nds to it, stuck to it without flinching. It set the whole shack a-going; those boards made such a noise as they had not made since the day they went through

eting in the world. Jonas Hicks, fortunately, was not easily co

rom Wanger's farm up to the county-seat to take

told it with particular attention to plausible detail; she

ly. "You just got lost on the prairie. And y

of the fair. Having heard enough to get the facts of her adventure and grasp her present situation, it was hardly in him to play the part of the unconvinced and give her a hearing through the corroborating details-it was too inquisitorial for him. Suspicion? He would have felt vitally impeached. He could not stand judicially; he would have knocked down the man that did it. For this reason, while he man

Just what would happen-" Such was the tenor of hi

dy acceptance was pec

she was coming to it, "I bet yo

that her whole story must seem to him an easily concocted, and a merely necessary fiction. But as that was exactly what did hap

a while ago to get my horse, I was rather frightened whe

se when I heard that noise I knew something was boun

much left to eat,"

ere in my wagon. Pie is good enough for

ness he invited her to join him. Janet, because she had had supper, was inclined to refuse. But there is something cordial about a pie's countenance, especially if it be a pie of one's own country, and still more e

he guest; he took her cup a

evening, is n't i

it was a nice night. Qu

k, did

of them that way. Only on special occa

say that she had poured out the last grain of it that very evening. She explained to hi

olasses? He ought to have s

ething under the bed. I don'

door-sill and entering the shack on his knee

ore or less than mol

mple, an ox in the middle of the string got down on his knees and began chewing. At the same moment the lamb, which had fallen out of bed and found his way out of the shack, announced himself with a bleat an

n turned his attention to the jug, "that the animals out in the

saved this one's life myself; that's why I am s

to be plenty of them. Ar

caring for him. Of co

d placing it upside down on the ground. Janet held a saucer to re

te about coming. It's as stubbor

Janet asked, keepin

was so stubborn that when he drowned

all

' been caught in the stirrup and the horse dragged him up that far

onded, he up-ended the jug still

eve has told you about things dow

he lost his mot

wing the word out as a thick sluggish

ttom of the jug and kept the mouth over the sa

hirling the jug in his hands to stop the flow from the l

N

about the molasses I had with

t tell me anyt

few turns and wind the molasses right up into it again. You could wrap it around the neck of the jug till next time

t of the bed, he returned to his place and passed t

t his mother. And ma

his mother. He showed me the clipping about her. H

e same. Just the sam

for which he told her his recipe, which could be varied with water "accor

ay the pian

d Janet. "But I am a littl

pick that up, as l

ng dwindled, he got up and put

er of more, he insisted t

ano music?" she inq

I suppose you can play

of practice lately. But my music always co

s a piano

he conversation. Janet a

uld hardly choose to come out here and do a sheep-herder's w

But down home there is n't anybody around his house, and that's lonesomer still. There a person would notice it; but you don't

he live

angs the pan up outside. I guess he borrowed some of his style from me. Steve would make a p

t, "does he think of

r thinks of such an idea. He 's got too

hould she te

her considerable worry, I guess. Steve was like his father was, and she was always watching over him to see that he did n't get in

been very fond

er let on but what he was. As long as he fetched and carried for her, and never got into any danger except when he kept it secret, I don't suppose she ever exactly noticed when he did grow up. And when she died you could see that she was worried about what would become of him. I went for the doctor when she di

at did

at satisfied her and she shut her eyes again, and that was the w

ll her everything?" sa

rry about, he 'd do it first. Then sometime when it was all over, he 'd let the cat out of

s did tell

r or l

man that was-rather

hey would n't 'a' dared to do anything if she was against it. I guess that was the reason they went

e something to say, afte

r. He's used to being run. He's lost. About a week after she was buried he took her picture

thought you said he hardl

acant ground. Presently his eye lit on Janet's yellow oil-coat. He reached out and took it, and having folded it somewhat like a cushion, so that its back presented a smooth surface, he again made sea

aid, "is Ste

r square, somewhat smaller, so that it just

kitchen,"

uching corners with the kitchen so

milk-house

oined at the corners, made a space between them. This space, su

it is n't open to the road at all, because there is a lattice-work there covered with vines. This lattice"-he wet the pencil and set it to work again-"this lattice that closes this place runs out from the side of the house, but it does n't join to the corner of the milk-house, because you see that would c

r, the better to

how that i

e beside the dining-room door is a bench where Steve washes up, and a looking-glass. And right on the other side of this door is where he hung her picture. That's how it is that he hardly ever

l now what you meant, Mr. H

hole weight of this explanation to bear upon the point at issue, she felt a new striking-in of her shame

m. And a hall runs from this dining-room right straight through onto the front porch. You can set right here at the head of the table and

he corner of the parlor till he had made a very black and s

" he announced,

ed her erec

some ways," she said. "It has cert

igured out,"

irling it round. This was about the middle of the "insid

breeze comes right in that place by the milk-house,-and keep track of what's going on in the kitchen. You don't have to go right into the kitchen once in a week if you don't want to. But it's a good thing to keep an eye on Aunt Lucy or the best of them. They 're likely to hand out half of the provi

vantages of a separate building, is n't it!

d Steve used to be a great hand for company. And I guess Steve B. is likely to turn out just as bad. So you see these are all three joined at the corners and this place between is a

ion awhile Jonas withdrew the slicker as if

stars and stars. The biggest and brightest stood out in unison; in between them and hanging far off in space were so many others that all confusion seemed straightened out in the unity of the infinite. It was all very beautiful-heaven is not disorder, after all. And yet a coyote, comp

sitting there awaiting her return. One woul

enty minutes after ten-but she did n

et," said Jonas. "Whenever your time comes to tu

suppose, Mr. Hicks, that he will have any difficulty finding that

has he b

e over a

t bad. You can

not. I thought

time i

by my watch. But I don't r

takes a considerable while for it to go past. And then again, as the other fellow sai

etter wait any longer. Will you find a place to

wagon. And if you should hear me serrynadin' you with a horse-fiddle after a w

ght, Mr.

you, Mi