d afterward went to
the hotel, where supper was being served. She would not have waited for
it, only that she had seen nothing of Prescott, and she had the excuse
that the team must have a rest. On entering the big dining-room she was
inclined to regret that meals can rarely be had in private in the West,
although, by the favor of a waitress, she succeeded in obtaining a small
table to herself. There were only two women present, clerks in the store,
she believed, but the room was nearly filled with men. Among them were
ranchers with faces darkened by the glare of the snow, some of them
wearing shabby coats from which the fur was coming off, though the room
was warm; a few railroad hands who laid sooty mittens on the table; the
smart station-agent; a number of storekeepers and clerks. Now and then
boisterous laughter rang out, and one group indulged in rather pointed
banter, while the way that several of them used their knives and forks
left much to be desired; but nobody regarded the girl with marked
attention. For all that, she was sensible of some relief when Prescott
came in and moved toward her table.

"May I take this place?" he asked.

"Of course," she said.

After speaking to a waitress, he inquired whether Colston or her sister
were at the hotel.

"No; I drove in alone."

She saw his surprise, which suggested that her task might prove more
difficult than she had imagined.

"Well," he said, "the trail's pretty good and there's a moon to-night;
but didn't you hesitate about getting supper here by yourself?"

"Not very much; there was really no reason why I should hesitate."

"That's true. But you had your doubts?"

"They were foolish," Muriel told him. "Why are you so curious?"

"I'm interested." He indicated the room and its occupants. "These people,
their manners, and surroundings are typical of the New West."

"Do you feel that you ought to defend them?"

"Oh, no! They don't need it. They have their faults and their virtues,
and neither are mean. They've the makings of a big nation and they're
doing great work to-day. However, you had certainly no cause for
uneasiness; there's not a man in the place who would have shown you the
least disrespect."

"After all," Muriel contended, "they're not your people. You came from
Montreal; your ideas and habits are more like ours than theirs."

"They're mine by adoption; I've thrown in my lot with them." He fixed his
eyes on her. "Do you know the secret of