Then he caught up his hat and without a word to the
sobbing girl hastily left the room.
Tom was just entering the lower gate. Quigg saw her and tried to
dodge behind the tool-house, but it was too late, so he faced her.
Tom's keen eye caught the sly movement and the quickly altered
expression. Some new trickery was in the air, she knew; she
detected it in every line of Quigg's face. What was McGaw up to
now? she asked herself. Was he after Carl and the men, or getting
ready to burn the other stable?
"Good-morning, Mr. Quigg. Ain't ye lost?" she asked coldly.
"Oh no," said Quigg, with a forced laugh. "I come over to see if
I could help about the fire."
It was the first thing that came into his head; he had hoped to
pass with only a nod of greeting.
"Did ye?" replied Tom thoughtfully. She saw he had lied, but she
led him on. "What kind of help did ye think of givin'? The
insurance company will pay the money, the two horses is buried,
an' we begin diggin' post-holes for a new stable in the mornin'.
Perhaps ye were thinkin' of lendin' a hand yerself. If ye did, I
can put ye alongside of Carl; one shovel might do for both of ye."
Quigg colored and laughed uneasily. Somebody had told her, then,
how Carl had threatened him with uplifted shovel when he tried to
coax the Swede away.
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