"Here, Hi, you take this and go out and hold my horse; he's mettlesome
as the deuce this cold weather. I want to get warm before I go to
Putnam's."

Hi put on his muffler, mits and cap--each with a favorite "swear word,"
such as "ding it," "dum it," "darn it." Nevertheless he wisely
concluded to take the half dollar from him and save it for the spring
crop of circuses.

Anna started to leave the room, but Sanderson's peremptory "Stay here,
I've got to talk to you," detained her.

They looked into each other's faces--these two, who but a few short
months ago had been all in all to each other--and the dead fire was not
colder than their looks.

"Well, Anna," he said sneeringly, "what's your game? You've been
hanging about here ever since I came to the neighborhood. How much do
you want to go away?"

"Nothing that you could give me, Lennox Sanderson. My only wish is
that I might be spared the sight of you."

"Don't beat around the bush, Anna; is it money, or what? You are not
foolish enough to try to compel me to marry you?"

"Nothing could be further from my mind. I did think once of compelling
you to right the wrong you have done me, but that is past. It is
buried in the grave with my child."

"Then the child is dead?" He came over to the fireplace where she
stood, but she drew away from him.

"You have nothing to fear from me, Lennox Sanderson. The love I felt
once is dead, and I have no feeling for you now but contempt."

"You need not rub it in like that, Anna. I was perfectly willing to do
the square thing by you always, but you flared up, went away, and
Heaven only knew what became of you. It's bad enough to have things
made unpleasant for me in Boston on your account without having you
queering my plans here."

"Boston--I never told anyone in Boston."

"No, but that row got into the papers about Langdon and the Tremonts
cut me."

"Hush," said Anna, as a spasm of pain crossed her face: "I never wish
you to refer to my past life again."

"Indeed, Anna, I am only too anxious to do the right thing by you, even
now. If you will go away, I will give you what you want, if you don't
intend to interfere between Kate and me."

"Are you sure that Kate is in earnest? You know that the Squire
intends her to marry Dave."

"I shall have no difficulty in preventing that if you don't interfere."

She did not answer. She was again considering the same old question
that she had thrashed out a t