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Sade！〃
She glanced hurriedly around her； 〃Toto find me；〃 she said
incredulously。
〃Sartain！ That ez； I was goin' to ask about ye；goin' to ask about ye
at the convent。〃
〃At the convent？〃 she echoed with a frightened amazement。
〃Yes； why； Lordy Sadedon't you see？ You thought I was dead； and I
thought you was dead；that's what's the matter。 But I never reckoned
that you'd think me dead until Chivers allowed that it must be so。〃
Her face whitened in the moonlight 〃Chivers？〃 she said blankly。
〃In course； but nat'rally you don't know him； honey。 He only saw
you onc't。 But it was along o' that； Sade； that he told me he reckoned you
wasn't dead； and told me how to find you。 He was mighty kind and
consarned about it； and he even allowed I'd better slip off to you this very
night。〃
〃Chivers；〃 she repeated； gazing at her husband with bloodless lips。
〃Yes； an awful purty…spoken man。 Ye'll have to get to know him
Sade。 He's here with some of his folks az hez got inter trouble I'm
forgettin' to tell ye。 You see〃
〃Yes； yes； yes！〃 she interrupted hysterically； 〃and this is the Mill？〃
〃Yes； lovey； the Millmy millYOUR millthe house I built for you；
dear。 I'd show it to you now； but you see； Sade； I'm out here standin'
guard。〃
〃Are YOU one of them？〃 she said； clutching his hand desperately。
〃No； dear；〃 he said soothingly；〃no； only； you see； I giv' my word to
'em as I giv' my house to…night； and I'm bound to protect them and see 'em
through。 Why； Lordy！ Sade； you'd have done the same for Chivers。〃
〃Yes； yes；〃 she said； beating her hands together strangely； 〃of course。
He was so kind to bring me back to you。 And you might have never
found me but for him。〃
She burst into an hysterical laugh； which the simple…minded man
might have overlooked but for the tears that coursed down her bloodless
face。
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〃What's gone o' ye； Sadie；〃 he said in a sudden fear； grasping her
hands； 〃that laugh ain't your'nthat voice ain't your'n。 You're the old
Sadie； ain't ye？〃 He stopped。 For a moment his face blanched as he
glanced towards the mill； from which the faint sound of bacchanalian
voices came to his quick ear。 〃Sadie； dear； ye ain't thinkin' anything agin'
me？ Ye ain't allowin' I'm keeping anythin' back from ye？〃
Her face stiffened into rigidity； she dashed the tears from her eyes。
〃No；〃 she said quickly。 Then after a moment she added； with a faint
laugh； 〃You see we haven't seen each other for so long it's all so sudden
so unexpected。〃
〃But you kem here； just now； calkilatin' to find me？〃 said Collinson
gravely。
〃Yes； yes；〃 she said quickly； still grasping both his hands； but with her
head slightly turned in the direction of the mill。
〃But who told ye where to find the mill？〃 he said； with gentle patience。
〃A friend；〃 she said hurriedly。 〃Perhaps；〃 she added； with a singular
smile； 〃a friend of the friend who told you。〃
〃I see；〃 said Collinson； with a relieved face and a broadening smile；
〃it's a sort of fairy story。 I'll bet； now； it was that old Barker woman that
Chivers knows。〃
Her teeth gleamed rigidly together in the moonlight； like a death's…
head。 〃Yes；〃 she said dryly； 〃it was that old Barker woman。 Say； Seth；〃
she continued； moistening her lips slowly； 〃you're guarding this place
alone？〃
〃Thar's another feller up the trail；a sentry；but don't you be afeard；
he can't hear us； Sade。〃
〃On this side of the mill？〃
〃Yes！ Why； Lord love ye； Sadie！ t'other side o' the mill it drops down
straight to the valley； nobody comes yer that way but poor low…down
emigrants。 And it's miles round to come by the valley from the summit。〃
〃You didn't hear your friend Chivers say that the sheriff was out with
his posse to…night hunting them？〃
〃No。 Did you？〃
〃I think I heard something of that kind at Skinner's； but it may have
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been only a warning to me； traveling alone。〃
〃Thet's so；〃 said Collinson； with a tender solicitude； 〃but none o' these
yer road…agents would have teched a woman。 And this yer Chivers ain't
the man to insult one； either。〃
〃No；〃 she said； with a return of her hysteric laugh。 But it was
overlooked by Collinson； who was taking his gun from beside the tree
where he had placed it； 〃Where are you going？〃 she said suddenly。
〃I reckon them fellers ought to be warned o' what you heard。 I'll be
back in a minit。〃
〃And you're going to leave me nowwhenwhen we've only just met
after these years；〃 she said； with a faint attempt at a smile； which； however；
did not reach the cold glitter of her eyes。
〃Just for a little； honey。 Besides； don't you see； I've got to get
excused； for we'll have to go off to Skinner's or somewhere； Sadie； for we
can't stay in thar along o' them。〃
〃So you and your wife are turned out of your home to please Chivers；〃
she said； still smiling。
〃That's whar you slip up； Sadie；〃 said Collinson； with a troubled face；
〃for he's that kind of a man thet if I jest as much as hinted you was here；
he'd turn 'em all out o' the house for a lady。 Thet's why I don't propose to
let on anything about you till to… morrow。〃
〃To…morrow will do；〃 she said； still smiling； but with a singular
abstraction in her face。 〃Pray don't disturb them now。 You say there is
another sentinel beyond。 He is enough to warn them of any approach
from the trail。 I'm tired and illvery ill！ Sit by me here； Seth； and wait！
We can wait here togetherwe have waited so long； Seth；and the end has
come now。〃
She suddenly lapsed against the tree； and slipped in a sitting posture to
the ground。 Collinson cast himself at her side； and put his arm round her。
〃Wot's gone o' ye； Sade？ You're cold and sick。 Listen。 Your hoss
is just over thar feedin'。 I'll put you back on him； run in and tell 'em I'm
off； and be with ye in a jiffy； and take ye back to Skinner's。〃
〃Wait；〃 she said softly。 〃Wait。〃
〃Or to the Silver Hollowit's not so far。〃
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She had caught his hands again； her rigid face close to his； 〃What
hollow？speak！〃 she said breathlessly。
〃The hollow whar a friend o' mine struck silver。 He'll take yur in。〃
Her head sank against his shoulder。 〃Let me stay here；〃 she answered；
〃and wait。〃
He supported her tenderly； feeling the gentle brushing of her hair
against his cheek as in the old days。 He was content to wait； holding her
thus。 They were very silent； her eyes half closed； as if in exhaustion； yet
with the strange suggestion of listening in the vacant pupils。
〃Ye ain't hearin' anythin'； deary？〃 he said； with a troubled face。
〃No； but everything is so deathly still；〃 she said in a frightened
whisper。
It certainly was very still。 A singular hush seemed to have slid over
the landscape； there was no longer any sound from the mill； there was an
ominous rest in the woodland； so perfect that the tiny rustle of an uneasy
wing in the tree above them had made them start； even the moonlight
seemed to hang suspended in the air。
〃It's like the lull before the storm；〃 she said with her strange laugh。
But the non…imaginative Collinson was more practical。 〃It's mighty
like that earthquake weather before the big shake thet dried up the river
and stopped the mill。 That was just the time I got the news o' your bein'
dead with yellow fever。 Lord！ honey； I allus allowed to myself thet
suthin' was happenin' to ye then。〃
She did not reply； but he；