ower to tell the whole miserable, pitiful truth. She had been a
coward, but she would be a coward no longer. This was for Jim. The
other had been for herself. Yes, she would tell the truth. She would
tell them that Will Henderson--her husband--was the thief. They would
believe--yes----

But her hope suddenly dropped from her. Would they believe? She
remembered what Annie had told her. She had been seen with Jim several
times in the village since he had left McLagan's. How many times?
Once--twice---- Yes, three times in all. And already the women of the
place had started scandalous stories. Would they believe her? If she
denounced Will, what then? Their retort would promptly be that she was
trying to rid herself of her husband, for--her own ends. Oh, it was
cruel!

She flung herself into her chair, and buried her face in her hands.
She could do nothing. Nothing but wait for help from others. And God
alone knew into what trouble she might not plunge them.

But gradually she became calmer. She began to think in a different
channel. She was thinking of these scandalous tongues, and searching
for an answer to them. She began to question her feelings. She told
herself that Jim was nothing but a friend. A well-liked friend. She
told herself this several times, and thought she believed it. Why
should it be otherwise? She had only seen him three times since he
came in from McLagan's. So why should it be otherwise? No, it was not
otherwise.

Slowly, as she thought, and the hours drifted on, her fears fell away
into the background. Her heart grew very tender, and her denial less
decided. She wondered where Jim was. She longed to go to him. She
would have loved to carry the warning to him herself. Somehow, she
wanted to be at his side, to tell him all she felt at the trouble she
had brought upon him. At the wrong she had so thoughtlessly,
unintentionally done him. She wanted to show him how she had only done
as her weak woman's conscience had prompted her. She had not thought
beyond what she believed to be her duty. She had not paused to think
what trouble she was bringing on others--on him. Had she only realized
at the time, that, with all her might, she was driving the searing
brand deeper into his flesh, she would rather have faced the rope
herself. She wanted to tell him all this, to open her heart to him,
and let him see that she was not the cruel, selfish creature he must
think her for having accepted his sacrifice in be