to mention that Winifred's expression suggests
that she's thinking of something."

Mrs. Hastings smiled. "Then I must endeavor to have a word or two with
her."

She left him with this, and not long afterwards she and Winifred went
out together. When the others were retiring she detained Agatha for a
minute or two in the empty room.

"Haven't the six months Gregory gave you run out yet?" she asked.

Agatha said they had, but she spoke in a careless tone and it was
evident that she had attached no particular significance to the fact
that Sally had worn a new fur cap.

"He hasn't been over to see you since."

The girl, who admitted it, looked troubled. Mrs. Hastings laid a hand
upon her shoulder.

"My dear," she said, "if he does come you must put him off."

"Why?" Agatha asked, in a low, strained voice.

"For one thing, because we want to keep you." Mrs. Hastings looked at
her with a very friendly smile. "Are you very anxious to make it up with
Gregory?" A shiver ran through the girl. "Oh," she exclaimed, "I can't
answer you that! I must do what is right!"

To her astonishment, Mrs. Hastings drew her a little nearer, stooped and
kissed her.

"Most of us, I believe, have that wish, but the thing is often horribly
complex," she said. "Anyway, you must put Gregory off again, if it's
only for another month or two. I fancy you will not find it difficult."

She turned away, thus ending the conversation, but her manner had been
so significant that Agatha, who did not sleep well that night, decided,
if it was possible, to act on the well-meant advice.

It happened that a little dapper man who was largely interested in the
land agency and general mortgage business spent that evening with
Hawtrey in Wyllard's room at the Range. He had driven around by
Hawtrey's homestead earlier in the afternoon, and had deduced a good
deal from the state of it, though this was a point he kept to himself.
Now he lay on a lounge chair beside the stove smoking one of Wyllard's
cigars and unobtrusively watching his companion. There was a roll of
bills in his pocket with which Gregory had very reluctantly parted.

"In view of the fall in wheat it must have been rather a pull for you to
pay me that interest," he remarked.

"It certainly was," Hawtrey admitted with a rueful smile. "I'm sorry it
had to be done."

"I don't quite see how you made it," persisted the other man. "What you
got for your wheat couldn't have done much more than