s offer
one very little comfort or privacy. As a rule they contain two general
rooms, in one of which the three daily meals are served with a
punctuality which is as unvarying as the menu. The traveller who
arrives a few minutes too late for one must wait until the next is
ready. The second room usually contains a rusty stove, and a few
uncomfortable benches; and there are not infrequently a couple of rows
of very small match-boarded cubicles on the floor overhead. The
Occident was, however, a notable exception. For one thing, the
building was unusually large, and its proprietor had condescended to
study the requirements of his guests, who came for the most part from
the outlying settlements. There were two rooms above the general
lounge, one of which was reserved for the wives or daughters of the
farmers who drove in long distances to purchase stores or clothing. In
the other, dry-goods travellers were permitted to display their wares,
and, though this was very unusual in that country, any privileged
customer who wished to leave by a train, the departure of which did not
synchronize with the hotel arrangements, was occasionally supplied with
a meal.

It was getting dusk when Hawtrey and Sally entered the first of the two
rooms, where the proprietor's wife was just lighting the big lamp. She
smiled at the man, who was, as it happened, a favourite of hers.

"Go right along, and I'll bring your supper up in a minute or two," she
said. "I guess you'll want it after your drive."

Hawtrey strode on down a short corridor towards the second room, but
Sally stopped behind him a moment.

"Is Hastings in town?" she asked. "I thought I saw his new waggon
outside."

"His wife is," said the other woman. "She and Miss Ismay drove in to
buy some things."

Sally asked no further questions. It was evident that Mrs. Hastings
would not start home until after supper, and as the regular hotel meal
would be ready in about half an hour it seemed certain that she would
come back to the hotel very shortly. That left Sally very little time,
for she had no desire that Hawtrey should meet either Mrs. Hastings or
Agatha until she had carried out the purpose she had in hand. It was
at Gregory's special request she had permitted him to drive in to see
her off, and she meant to make the most of the opportunity. She had
long ago regretted her folly in running away from his homestead when he
lay helpless, but things had changed co