If
she was seeking and expecting, it was to him more than ever that she was
now looking for protection. The haunting trouble in her eyes, their
entreaty, their shining faith in him told him that, and he was glad that
she had not seen his sudden fear and suspicion. She clung more closely to
him as they followed Blackton. Her little fingers held his arm as if she
were afraid some force might tear him from her. He saw that she was looking
quickly at the faces about them with that same questing mystery in her
search.
At the thin outer edge of the crowd Blackton dropped back beside them. A
few steps more and they came to the end of the platform, where a buckboard
was waiting in the dim light of one of the station lamps. Blackton
introduced Joanne, and assisted her into the seat beside his wife.
"We'll leave you ladies to become acquainted while we rustle the baggage,"
he said. "Got the checks, Aldous?"
Joanne had given Aldous two checks on the train, and he handed them to
Blackton. Together they made their way to the baggage-room.
"Thought Miss Gray would have some luggage, so I had one of my men come
with another team," he explained.
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