d at her sharply, and fancied there was a slightly strained
expression in the smiling face, but the next moment Miss Schuyler
laughed.

"What are you thinking, Flo?" said Hetty.

"It was scarcely worth mentioning. I was wondering how it was that the
only times we have crossed the bridge we met Mr. Grant."

"That's quite simple," said Larry. "Each time it was on Wednesday, and I
generally drive round to see if I am wanted anywhere that day. They have
had to do almost without provisions at the homesteads in the hollow
lately. Your dollars will be very welcome, Hetty."

Hetty blushed for no especial reason, except that when Grant mentioned
Wednesday she felt that Flora Schuyler's eyes were upon her. Then, a voice
rose up below.

"Hello! All quiet, Jake?"

There were footsteps in the snow outside, and when the sentry answered,
the words just reached those who listened in the room.

"I had a kind of notion I saw something moving in the bluff, but I
couldn't be quite sure," he said. "There was a door or window banged up
there on the verandah a while ago, but that must have been done by one of
the women in the house."

Grant rose and drew back the curtain, when, after a patter of footsteps,
the voices commenced again.

"Somebody has come in straight from the bluff," said one of the men. "You
can see where he has been, but I'm blamed if I can figure where he went to
unless it was up the post into the verandah, and he couldn't have done
that without Miss Torrance hearing him. I'll stop right here, any way, and
I wish my two hours were up."

"I'm that stiff I can scarcely move," said the man relieved, and there was
silence in the room, until Hetty turned to the others in dismay.

"He is going to stay there two hours, and he would see us the moment we
opened the window," she said.

Grant quickly put on his big fur coat, and unnoticed, he fancied, slipped
one hand down on something that was girded on the belt beneath it.

"I must get away at once--through the house," he said.

Hetty had, however, seen the swift motion of his hand.

"There's a man with a rifle in the hall," she said, shudderingly. "Flo,
can't you think of something?"

Flora Schuyler looked at them quietly. "I fancy it would not be very
difficult for Mr. Grant to get away, but the trouble is that nobody must
know he has been near the place. That is the one thing your father could
not forgive, Hetty."

Hetty turned her head a little, but Grant nod