The store was full of men , smoking and chatting around the fire , and Miss Calista , whose pet abomination was tobacco smoke , was not at all minded to wait any longer than she could help . But Abiram Fell was attending to a previous customer , and Miss Calista sat grimly down by the counter to wait her turn . The door opened , letting in a swirl of raw November evening wind and Ches Maybin . He nodded sullenly to Mr. Fell and passed down the store to mutter a message to a man at the further end . Miss Calista lifted her head as he passed and sniffed the air as a charger who scents battle . The smell of tobacco was strong , and so was that of the open boxes of dried herring on the counter , but plainly , above all the commingled odours of a country grocery , Miss Calista caught a whiff of peppermint , so strong as to leave no doubt of its origin . There had been no hint of it before Ches Maybin 's entrance . The latter did not wait long . He was out and striding along the shadowy road when Miss Calista left the store and drove smartly after him . It never took Miss Calista long to make up her mind about anything , and she had weighed and passed judgement on Ches Maybin 's case while Mr. Fell was doing up her matches . The lad glanced up furtively as she checked her fat grey pony beside him . `` Good evening , Chester , '' she said with brisk kindness . `` I can give you a lift , if you are going my way . Jump in , quick -- Dapple is a little restless . '' A wave of crimson , duskily perceptible under his sunburned skin , surged over Ches Maybin 's face . It almost seemed as if he were going to blurt out a blunt refusal . But Miss Calista 's face was so guileless and her tone so friendly , that he thought better of it and sprang in beside her , and Dapple broke into an impatient trot down the long hill lined with its bare , wind-writhen maples . After a few minutes ' silence Miss Calista turned to her moody companion . `` Chester , '' she said , as tranquilly as if about to ask him the most ordinary question in the world , `` why did you climb into my house last night and try to steal my money ? '' Ches Maybin started convulsively , as if he meant to spring from the buggy at once , but Miss Calista 's hand was on his arm in a grasp none the less firm because of its gentleness , and there was a warning gleam in her grey eyes .
`` It wo n't mend matters trying to get clear XXXXX me , Chester .
along as at by if in of on while with