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Updated: June 8, 2025
Sproatly assured her that this was not the case, and in a few more minutes the girl, who went into the house, got into the waggon again, with relief in her face. "I think I owe Mr. Wyllard a good deal," she said. Sproatly laughed. "You're not exactly singular in that respect, but you had better hold tight. These beasts are rather less than half broken."
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.
Sproatly was an Englishman of good education, though his appearance seldom suggested it, who drove about the prairie in a waggon vending cheap oleographs and patent medicines most of the summer, and contrived to obtain free quarters from his bachelor acquaintances during the winter.
"Edmonds, who holds his mortgage, would let him have it," Sproatly explained. "But wouldn't he be afraid of Gregory not being able to pay, if the market went against him?" Sproatly looked thoughtful. "The arrangement Wyllard made with Gregory would, perhaps, give Edmonds a claim upon the Range if Gregory borrowed any money in his name. I almost think that's what the money-lender is scheming for.
There was a faint gleam in her eyes, at which Sproatly apparently took warning, for he said no more upon that subject, and they talked about other matters until he took his departure an hour or two later. It was the next afternoon when he appeared again and Mrs. Hastings smiled at Agatha as he and Winifred drove away together. "Thirty miles is a long way to drive in the frost.
Hastings; "in the summer he lives in his waggon, or under it, I don't know which. Of course, if he's really taken with Winifred he will have to alter that." "But he has only seen her once you can't mean that he is serious." "I really can't speak for Sproatly, but it would be quite in keeping with the customs of the country if he was."
The two women went home next day, and on the following morning a man, who was driving in to Lander's, brought Mrs. Hastings a note from Sproatly. It was very brief, and ran: "Gregory arrived same night by Pacific train. It is evident he must have got off at the next station down the line." Mrs. Hastings showed it to her husband. "I'm afraid we have been too hasty.
"I'll do what I can," said Sproatly indignantly. "You!" said the other. "It would be criminal to leave you in charge of a sick man." Sally quietly put on her blanket coat. "If you can stay that long, I'll be back soon after it's light," she said. Then she turned to Sproatly. "You can wash up those dishes on the table, and get a brush and sweep this room out.
"I think you would be just as comfortable where you are," he informed her when he joined the others. "I'm rather doubtful," said Mrs. Hastings. "Wasn't the stove lighted?" "Yes," said Sproatly, "I fancy it was." "But I sent you to make sure." "The fact is I didn't go in," said Sproatly, uneasily. "There's somebody in the room already." "Any of the boys would go out if they knew we wanted it."
A fortnight had slipped by since the evening Hawtrey had spent with Sally, when Winifred and Sproatly once more arrived at the Hastings homestead.
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