As he neared the silent house,
the faint creak of saddle-leather and the rattle of spur-chains
against his iron stirrups were smothered in the whispering of the
treetops in the grove, so that only the quick hushing of night
noises alone betrayed him to any wakeful ear.
He was guilty of staring hard at that corner of the house where
he knew Evadna slept, and of scowling over the vague disquiet
which the thought of her caused him. No girl had ever troubled
his mind before. It annoyed him that the face and voice of
Evadna obtruded, even upon his thoughts of other things.
The grove was quiet, and he could hear Gene's unmistakable snore
over by the pond--the only sound save the whispering of the
trees, which went on, unmindful of his approach. It was evident,
he thought, that the ghost was effectually laid--and on the heels
of that, as he rode out from the deep shade of the grove and on
past the garden to the meadows beyond, he wondered if, after all,
it was again hardily wandering through the night; for he thought
he glimpsed a figure which flitted behind a huge rock a few rods
in advance of him, and his eyes were not used to playing him
tricks.
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