er selfish dulness, causing her feet to fly.

From within the sitting-room she saw the entrance-hall. Its door was
open to the wide sweep of land that lay in floods of sunshine. In the
light, half turning now to go as he had come, stood Angel Halsey. Her
eager eyes drank in the sight of him, because last night she had thought
to see him die. She saw his quietness even while, it seemed to her, the
gun still echoed, and it was Ephraim who held the gun! Beside Ephraim
her aunt stood, like one in a frenzy, her very garments twitching and
her gray hair fallen loose. None of them looked to see the girl within
the shaded room.

"Friends," said Halsey, "I came to say 'Peace be with this house,' and
to speak with her to whom God has given the spirit of obedience to his
truth, but it is written that when any house refuses to receive us we
must depart."

His voice was for some cause growing fainter, but Susannah was certain
that the cause was not fear.

He took a letter from his breast. "I wrote it," he said, "in case I
might not enter to speak with her."

He gave the letter to Ephraim, who took it reluctantly, as one impelled
by some strong sense of right.

Halsey went out. He tottered upon the path, but he opened the gate and
walked on. Ephraim, still holding the gun and the letter, turned and saw
Susannah.

Ephraim's face was gaunt and haggard as she had never seen it before;
his eyes were large, and she thought she read unutterable distress in
them, but could not understand. She held out her hand for the letter,
but as he gave it both she and he perceived for the first time that it
was stained with blood; they felt mutually the thrill that the sight
gave.

He put his hand out suddenly and pushed her within the room. "Go," he
entreated, "for God's sake, Susy, go to your own room; take his letter
with you if you will, but go."

Susannah went amazed, but she began to think that Ephraim's distress had
not been a gracious sorrow, but remorse for his own crime. He must have
shot Halsey as he would have shot at some evil beast. When she had time
to remember that Halsey had tottered when he walked, she fled back,
straining the blood-stained letter to her breast, and tore open the
closed door. Her aunt was sitting in a low chair sobbing. Ephraim,
bareheaded in the sunshine, was standing on the path shading his eyes to
scan the road. Susannah ran out, not to him (her shame and grief for him
were too deep for any word), but w