The Wrong Woman Read Online Free PDF Page A

the
herder been with his distracting duties that he had not taken much notice of the
shack as he drew nearer to it; but now that the dog raised the alarm he looked
and saw a blue wraith of smoke hovering over the roof. His fire-hole, it seemed,
was lit. This was not unwelcome news, as any one may imagine who has lived even
a few days so utterly alone. But whether the visitor was a stranger or a friend
was made a matter of doubt by the conduct of the dog, who was barking and
growling and wagging his tail. And his only change in conduct towards his friend
the enemy consisted in doing it all more industriously, making threats with one
end of himself and waving a welcome with the other. But no sound came from the
other side of the shack. The intruder did not stand forth and show himself. The
herder wondered that his approach had not been discovered. In the meantime the
ewe, which he had absent-mindedly let go of, had made her escape and was again
mingling with the multitude which was now running pell-mell into the corral. It
seemed strange that the person behind the shack did not step forth. Being now
free of the ewe (who had in no wise thwarted Justice by her act), he proceeded
to investigate his home. And when he reached the corner of the shack he sawa
Woman.
    A Woman. At a sheep-shack. She had his tin stew-pan on the fire and was
bending over it, sampling the contents. On the ground was a strange sighttwo
pieces of pie, two peaches, half a chicken, sandwiches,some with ham and some
with jam,pickles and cheese. And the coffee-pot under full steam. The
large-hearted and healthy Lena had put all this into the package rolled into the
slicker. It was partly this that had made Janet's burden so heavy.
    The man's jaw dropped, as almost did the lamb; but catching himself in time
he hugged it closer with unconscious strength. The woman replaced the cover on
the stew-pan, straightened up, and spoke.
    "Good-evening," she said. This in a tone of positive welcome (possibly a
little overdone).
    "How do you do," he replied.
    "I have just been making use of your fire-hole. And your coffee-pot. You see
I wasI was"
    "Oh, that's all right. That's all right. Just make yourself right at home.
Are the men folks gone somewhere?" He cast his eyes about.
    "There are nono men folks. You see I was just coming along by
myselfalonewithout anybodyany men folks." These words nearly choked her. But
immediately she added, with the most brightening smile, "I was so frightened by your dog. He scared me so."
    Having said this, she dropped her eyes to the stew-pan, the contents of which
seemed to need attention just at that moment.
    "Oh, he won't bite. Anyway, he won't bite you. He knows ladies."
    "I am so afraid of them," she said, her eyes still occupied.
    She needed a moment to recover her courage, thinking rapidly. And as for the
man, he thought nothing whatever; he just looked. She was bright-eyed and fair
and wholly perfect. She was dressed in plain black, with deep white cuffs which
turned back upon the sleeves, and a white turnover collar, as neat as a nun.
Offsetting, somehow, the severity of this, was the boyish side-sweep of her
hair, and the watch-chain looped to a crocheted pocket on her breast. And on the
ground lay the soldierly three-cornered hat.
    To a man who had been expecting to come home to doughy hot bread and fried
rabbit and solitude, this was a surprise. It was somewhat as if Providence had
taken note of his case and sent out a Sister of Charity; and one who had the
charming advantage of being also a dimpled Daughter of the Regiment. Once his
eye had taken in the regular contour of her nose and rested on that dimple, his
gaze did not wander. He did not even winkit would have been a complete loss of
looking. When she removed the lid from the saucepan a spicy aroma spread itself
abroad. Dog and herder sniffed the evening air, sampling the new odor. It was a
whiff of Araby the Blest.
    "As I was just