XV
IN mid-October Darrin returned afoot, as he had departed; and there was no warning of his coming. He reached the farm in the afternoon. John was in the woodlot at the time, cutting the wood into cord lengths in preparation for hauling. Evered had worked in the morning, but after dinner he sat down by the kitchen stove and remained there, in the dull apathy of thought which was becoming habitual to him. He was still there and Ruth was busy about the room when Darrin came to the door. Ruth had caught sight of him through the window; she was at the door to meet him and opened it before he knocked. She wanted to tell him how glad she was to see him; but all she could do was stand very still, her right hand at her throat, her eyes on his.
He said gently, “Well, I’ve come back. But it has been longer than I thought it would be.”
She nodded. “Yes, it has been a long time.”
There was so much of confession in her tone that the man’s heart pounded and he stepped quickly toward her. But when she moved back he saw Evered within the room, watching him with dull eyes; and he caught himself and his face sobered and hardened.
“My things are here?” he asked.
“In the shed,” she said. “John brought them up. I’ll show you.”
She stepped away and he followed her into the kitchen, toward the door that opened at one side into the shed.
She had already opened the door when Evered asked huskily, “Back, are you?”
Darrin said, “Yes.” There was an indescribable note of hostility in his voice which he could not disguise.