Pagina 410 de 439

The flame in her face, the eyes that met his, as if drawn by a

magnet, still held their anger, but mingled with it was a piteous

plea for mercy. "I--I'm only a girl. Why don't you let me alone?"

she cried bitterly, and hard upon her own words turned and ran

from the room.

Steve looked after her in amazed surprise. "Now don't it beat the

band the way a woman takes a thing."

Dubiously he took himself to the stable and said good-by to

Dillon.

An hour later she went down to dinner still flushed and excited.

Before she had been in the room two minutes her father gave her a

piece of startling news.

"I been talking to Steve. Gracious, gyurl, what do you reckon

that boy's a-goin' to do?"

Arlie felt the color leap into her cheeks.

"What, dad?"

"He's a'goin' back to Gimlet Butte, to give himself up to Brandt,

day after to-morrow."

"But--what for?" she gasped.