Chapter 7

Lottie was startled out of her self-possession by Mr. Highton's speech to his wife. She turned quickly, and stretching out an imploring hand toward her, begged her not to go.

But Mrs. Highton, with a coarse laugh, exclaimed, "Oh, you needn't be afraid. He ain't a-goin' to hurt you!" and walked out of the room.

There were a few whispered words between man and wife before the woman left the house, and while these were being said, Lottie's courage was coming back, and when Mr. Highton came in he found her seated composedly upon the lounge, with Eva nestled close to her side.

He threw himself into the arm-chair which his wife had vacated, and sat for some minutes eying Lottie from under his shaggy eye-brows, without speaking. Then he shifted in his seat, crossed one leg over the other and said, in an insinuating tone.

"You seem to hev a very poor opinion of me, miss."

Lottie made no reply to this, and he continued, more roughly:

"You think I had a hand in your brother's runnin' off. How did you come by sech an idea as that?"

"I have already told you that I know _some one_ persuaded him to go. No one but you could have had any object in doing that," replied Lottie, steadily.

"Wal, I declare! What did _I_ want the boy to run off fer?" asked Mr. Highton, in pretended surprise, while an angry flush rose to his cheek.

"I can't answer that question."

"Wal, it's best not to throw out insinerations that you can't prove. An' it will be all the better fer you, if you make up your mind to be friendly with me. Because, if you ain't, you'll find yourself in a middlin' bad box before very long. My wife an' me, we wants to be friendly, an' is willin' to do the best we kin fer you; that's what we come over this morning to talk about."

"I am getting along very well--I don't need any kind of help from any one, at present," said Lottie coldly.

"You're mighty inderpendent fer a bit of a girl; but when you come to find out jest how you air fixed, you may change your tune," and Mart Highton grinned maliciously.

Lottie made no answer, and he continued:

"We come to you, my wife an' I did, to let you know that this place _belongs to us_; but, not wishin' to be too hard on you, we offered you the privilege of stayin' on here with us till you could make some other 'rangements. I told my wife to be easy on you, an' not break the news too suddint, but she didn't seem to work it jest right. So the next best plan is to come out plain an' let you know exactly how you're situated."

"I'd like to know, if there's anything I don't understand," said Lottie, so quietly that Mr. Highton looked rather astonished at the way she was taking the matter.

"Wal, then, this is the way the business stands. When your father settled down here, an' entered his quarter-section, he jest made a mistake an' put his improvements on the wrong quarter. Nobody didn't happen to discover the mistake, fer folks wasn't comin' in here to no great extent; but, now a railroad is bein' talked of, people is lookin' after things middlin' sharp. I found out how it was 'tother day, when I was over to the land office, an' I jest clipped in an' filed on it quicker'n a wink. So now I'm goin' to come right along an' take possession. You kin stay, as I said afore, 'till you kin make other 'rangements--_purvided_ you're a mind to make yourself agreeable! 'Taint everybody as would be so easy on you, you must remember!"

"No, _it is not_ every one who would try to rob helpless children," answered Lottie, scornfully. "I do not believe a single word of your story. You have prepared a scheme to rob us of our home--to drive us away from the only shelter we have; but you will not succeed in your wicked plans. I intend to keep possession here, until father comes back, and will defend his home against claim jumpers as long as there is life in my body."

Lottie had risen as she made this declaration, and stood cool and resolute before the man whom she knew had determined to drive her out of her father's house. Her cheeks glowed, her eyes gleamed, her form seemed taller by an inch, and she looked quite unlike the bright-faced, merry girl that she usually was.

Eva clung to her hand and looked up at her in wonder. What had this hateful visitor said that had made Lottie so angry? She was not able to understand the meaning of his words, but Eva knew he had offended her dear sister, and she bent her brows and sent indignant glances in his direction.

But Mart Highton paid little heed to the child; he was wondering how this young girl, whom he had expected so easily to impose upon, had penetrated his scheme, and how long she would hold out against him.

He knew nothing of the solitary night watch when those words of his which had put her on her guard had reached her ears.

That a young girl like this should "show fight," as he phrased it to himself, was a complete surprise, and for a moment he stared at her silently. Then he burst into a loud laugh, and, when he had laughed long enough, he said, jocosely:

"An' so you're a-goin' to hold on to my quarter-section, be you? You're a mighty peart sort of a girl! I declar' I admire your spunk! But if I was you, I wouldn't look _too_ strong fer that father o' yourn. You'll never set eyes on _him_ till Gabriel blows his horn: an' that'll be a middlin' long spell to hold out agin me an' the land office."

And Mart Highton laughed again at his own wit.

Lottie was too indignant at his brutality to make any answer. She felt her limbs trembling beneath her, and sat down again quickly that it might not be noticed, for she really feared the man.

But the gentleman in the arm-chair made no offensive movement, as she had thought he might do; for in her eyes he was a wretch capable of any crime, and, knowing that she and Eva were utterly alone and friendless in this isolated spot, might he not have it in his heart to kill them and so get them out of his way?

She knew instinctively that he was a man who would hesitate at nothing that would serve to gain his ends. If he could not get possession of the property he coveted in any other way, what was there to hinder him if he chose to take their lives? There was not a friend, not even an acquaintance, within miles of them who would be interested to inquire into their fate. And then a dreadful fear flashed upon her. Perhaps he _had_ murdered Jimmy--had lured him away from home with fair promises, and had then killed him.

Her face blanched at the thought as she turned and looked searchingly at the hateful countenance confronting her, and, almost without knowing that she spoke, Lottie uttered the words, very nearly like those with which she had first greeted him:

"What have you done with my brother Jimmy?"

Mart Highton sprang to his feet, pale with anger, and, with one great stride, came to where Lottie was sitting.

[TO BE CONTINUED.]

[_This Story began in No. 45._]

EPHRAIM CLARK'S FIRST AND ONLY VOYAGE.

By E. Shippen, M.D.