Page:GB Lancaster--law-bringer.djvu/387

Rh its corners yet," he said. "Don't wait up for me, Kennedy. I can find my way into my bunk, I fancy."

Kennedy had talked of everything he knew; including the disappearance of Grange's Andree, and the rumour (it was no more than a rumour) which had slid through Grey Wolf whispering that she was wanted.

"Don't speak of Andree to Grange," he said. "He's awfully cut up about it. You wouldn't think the little fellow'd a-had so much heart. He's blocked Moosta showing these pictures of yours around to folks since she left."

Dick had forgotten those pictures. He remembered them now with a swift pang. Then he nodded acquiescence, and went out.

But he did not turn down the well-known flapping side-walk to Grange's. He went across to the frozen lake where the snow lay levelly hard and white under the new-come dark. Far over the glimmering stretch shone the lights of Jennifer's home, and Dick turned his face towards them and walked forward quickly.

In the early days of her married life Jennifer had left the house-blinds up at night that the lights of his home might greet Ducane the moment he turned his eyes towards them from far off. Later she had drawn them that she might not see the gleam from the police barracks shoot out into the gloom. Now that neither Ducane nor barracks mattered any more she left them up, because she loved to see the white stars and the dance of the northern lights when the lamps were low, and to watch for the occasional beat of, a night-bird's wings on the pane.

This night there were no northern lights, and the stars were shrouded. But the blinds were up still, though the lamps were high, and Jennifer sat in the softened glow of them, sewing on some white work. A half-made pinafore intended for one of Miss Chubb's children at the English Mission School lay on the floor beside her, and a black kitten had rolled itself up in it. Jennifer stooped to roll it out again, and heard across the room a sound like the flutter of a bird's wings on the glass. She looked round. And then she sprang to her feet; dropping her work, and shutting her hands over her leaping heart.

In the sudden terror of her face and her wide-stretched