later a haze of snow whirled across it and cut the dreary scene
in half. Then the light died out suddenly, and she and the little
girls drew their chairs close up to the stove. The house was very
quiet, but she could hear the mournful wailing of the wind about it,
and now and then the soft swish of driven snow upon the walls and
roofing shingles.

The table was laid for supper, and a kettle was singing cheerfully upon
the stove, but there was no sign of the others, and by and bye Agatha
commenced to feel a little anxious. Mrs. Hastings, she fancied, would
stay the night at Lander's if there was any unfavourable change in the
weather, which seemed to be the case, but she wondered what could be
detaining Hastings. It was not very far to the bluff, and as he could
not have continued chopping in the darkness it seemed to her that he
should have reached the homestead already.

He did not come, however, and she grew more uneasy as the time slipped
by, while the wail of the wind grew louder and the stove crackled more
noisily, until at last one of the little girls rose with a cry, and she
fancied she heard a dull beat of hoofs. It grew plainer until she was
sure of it, but soon after that the sound ceased abruptly, and she
could not hear the rattle of flung down logs which she had expected.
This struck her as curious, since she knew that Hastings generally
unloaded the sled before he led the team to the stable. She waited a
moment or two, but except for the doleful wind nothing broke the
silence now, and when it became oppressive she moved towards the door.

The wind tore it from her grasp when she opened it, and flung it
against the wall with a jarring crash, while a fine powder that stung
the skin unbearably drove into her face. For a few moments she could
see nothing but a filmy, whirling haze, and then, as her eyes became
accustomed to the change of light, she dimly made out the blurred white
figures of the horses standing still, with the load of birch logs
rising a shapeless mass behind them. There seemed to be nobody with
them, and though she twice called sharply no answer came out of the
sliding snow. Then she recognised the significant fact that the team
had come home alone.

It was difficult to close the door, and before she accomplished it her
hands had stiffened and grown almost useless, and the hall was strewn
with snow, but it was very evident that there was something for her to
do. It cost her thre