brown
fur."

Just then Mrs. Hastings, unobserved by either of them, looked up and
caught Sproatly's eye. His face became suddenly expressionless, and he
looked away.

"When was that?" Agatha asked.

"A fortnight ago, anyway."

Agatha sat silent, and was glad when Mrs. Hastings asked Winifred a
question. She desired no gifts from Gregory, but since he had bought the
cap and mittens she wondered what he could have done with them. It was
disconcerting to feel that, while he evidently meant to hold her to her
promise, he must have given them to somebody else. She had never heard
of his acquaintance with Sally Creighton, but it struck her as curious
that although the six months' delay he had granted her had lately
expired, he had neither sent her any word nor called at the homestead.

A few minutes later Mrs. Hastings took up a basket of sewing and moved
towards the door. Sproatly, who rose as she approached him, drew aside
his chair, and she handed the basket to him.

"You can carry it if you like," she said.

Sproatly took the basket, and followed her into another room, where he
sat it down.

"Well?" he said, with a twinkle in his eyes.

Mrs. Hastings regarded him thoughtfully. "I wonder if you know what
Gregory did with those mittens?"

"I'm rather pleased that I can assure that I don't."

"Do you imagine that he kept them?"

"I'm afraid I haven't an opinion on that point."

"Still, if I said that I felt certain he had given them to somebody you
would have some idea as to who it would probably be?"

"Well," confessed Sproatly reluctantly, "if you insist upon it, I must
admit that I could make a guess."

Mrs. Hastings smiled in a manner which suggested comprehension. "So
could I," she said. "I shouldn't wonder if we both guessed right. Now
you may as well go back to the others."

Sproatly, who made no answer, turned away, and he was talking to Agatha
when, half an hour later, a wagon drew up outside the door. In another
minute or two he leaned forward in amused expectation as Sally walked
into the room.

"I'm going on to Lander's, and just called to bring back the mat you
lent us," she said to Mrs. Hastings. "Sproatly was to have come for it,
but he didn't?"

Sproatly, who said he was sorry, fixed his eyes on her. It was clear to
him that Agatha did not understand the situation, but he fancied that
Sally was filled with an almost belligerent satisfaction. She was
wearing a smart fur cap, and in one