cceed. He had gone too far now to make a confession sound reasonably convincing; and he could not desert the girl to Dale. That was

y yield to pessimism. For though circumstances-and his own lack of foresight-had placed him in a contemptib

to Mary Bransford what he wanted to be to her; but he could at least save the Double A for her. Tha

tting-room. It was almost dusk, and, judging from the sounds that reached his ears fr

tever the end might be-Sanderson stole through the sitting-room, out through the

scovered a comb, and a broken bit of mirror fixed to the wall of the lean-to, before which he combed his hai

lustered," he to

n stood for a long time at the door of the lean-to, trying

lowly to the outside kitchen door,

which, floating to the doorway where San

a huge apron over it. Her sleeves were rolled slightly above the elbows; her fa

ran to him, threw her arms around him, and, in spite of his efforts

he stepped back and loo

t, Will. And I am s

to bein' kis

your s

a long time, you know. Give me ti

d not kiss my brother. You have washed, too!" she adde

, ma

she co

grinned

n the porch," she directed, over her shoulder. "I'll hav

rent that the heat of the kitchen had affected him. That, at least, m

a certain humor in the situation. Sanderson felt it, but could not appreciate it, and

he became aware of a figure near him, and he turned slo

" suggested t

ow in hell do you know I'm

e looks like you'd had it in an oven. Now, don't

m. Why? Sanderson did not know. He was aware that he must seem awkward in the r?le of brother, and he suspected that the little man had

and prominent, the tips bending outward under the brim of a felt hat that was too large for him; his mouth was large, and Sanderson's impression of it wa

al effort of the muscles of the lips that

ely out of proportion to the rest of him. He was not repulsive-looking, however, and a glance at his eyes convinced

t the man's seeming impertinence

elin's?" he inquired. "What oven

as never been a wolf with women, it might be expected that he'd feel sort of warm to be kissed and f

wed with a new inter

ow I wasn't a w

e bashful, and you don't run to

, "but you seem to be a heap long on common sense, an' I

ney

? You ought be herd-ridin' scho

t of. Been roaming around the north country. Struck the basin about three weeks ago. Miss Bransford was needing men-her father-yours, too, of course-hav

tood. Miss Bransford had hired Owen o

e worked strangely,

arned my keep, and Alva Dale would be where he w

ened. "You'd have

peak, merely n

orry come when I did. But do you thin

at I ever saw. I hadn't been here two days when he sneered at me and called me a freak. I'll kill him-some day. Your coming has merely delayed the time. But bef

ighty interesting for you and Miss Bransford. But I'll help you, if you say the word.

nst me. I haven't the size, and I haven't the nerve to take the initiative. Besides, I drink. I

n the other's ability to take a large part in what was to come, he respected th

an do a heap-at anything," he said. "We'll

en, gripping the h

voice from the kitch

anderson's hand, and slipped

girl and to continue the deception. Necessity drove him to the door, however, and whe

easily than any man I ever saw. But don't let that bother you," she added, laughing; "blushes become you. Will," she

head if you go to talkin' like tha

ut they all have had good appetites," she told him, shaking a finger at him. "And if you don't ea

r aim, and took another a

. He kept wondering what she would say to him if she knew the truth. It seemed to h

Sanderson realize how contemptible was the part he was playing. She had accepted hi

ccurred during his supposed absence, intimate little happenings that he had no right to hear. A

in after a

ble between Dale

-section of land on the northwestern edge of the basin. But he hasn't proved on it. The land adjoin

han once. Dale hasn't told, of course; but it is my opinion that Dale put the Double A cattle into Ben's c

use Double

e friends. Dale is ruthless and subtle. Can't you understand how a man of that type

Dale the cattle did

to claim them. And then I could have done nothing-having disclaimed the ownership of the stock. And I-I couldn't lie. And, besid

anderson inan

ace and forehead. When the handkerchief came out a sheet of paper, folded and crumpled, flutt

n continued to wipe the perspiration from his face, and noting that he was busily engaged she smoothed the paper on the table in front of

o its pocket, noticed Mary's start, and saw

ou get this?" she inqui

what it is I could hel

de over to Dry Bottom and mailed it! This man had written to father a long time before, asking for a job. I have his letter somewhere. It

AR

e an opening for a good all-around man, the undersigned would be willing to work for you. If you would want a reco

rs t

SAND

ed at Sanderson with eager, questioning e

father's answer, telling the man to come

rospect. In the total stoppage of his thoughts no way of escape or evasion

the handkerchief, wiping away drops of perspiration that

t him, repeating the ques

rew wider and more intelligent, and at the sixth

tell you about that

ar

, to surprise him. But before I told him who I was, I was goin' to feel him out, an' find out what he thought

nderson?' That isn'

ant anybody to be runnin' into me an' recognizin'

ged to delight; she sat er

't mean to tell me that you are the Sanderson that we all know of here-that nearly everybody in the country has heard about; the man who is called

resorted to th

've talked about me

about it he'll be positively venomous-and scared. I don't t

oyful over the lie he had told. He was getting deeper and deeper into

ll, this last lie at least, by telling Mary that he had picked the note up on the

insistence, he told her he was going to bed, bolted into the room, locked the door behind him, and sat long in the darkness a