CHAPTER XIII

A SWEETER WOMAN NE’ER DREW BREATH

F'l WHENCEFORWARD Eric Mar- shall was a constant visitor at the Gordon homestead. He soon be-

came a favourite with Thomas and Janet,

especially the latter. He liked them both, discovering under all their outward pe— culiarities sterling worth and fineness of character. Thomas Gordon was surpris- ingly well read and could floor Eric any‘ time in argument, once he became sufii— ciently warmed up to attain to fluency of words. Eric hardly recognized him the first time he saw him thus animated. His bent form straightened, his sunken eyes flashed, his face flushed, his voice rang like a trumpet, and he poured out a 'flood of eloquence which swept Eric’s smart, up—to-date arguments away like strawsin the rush of a. mountain torrent. Eric en-

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