rlor and the kitchen. He sighed in relief
as it started up-stairs. But his relief was short-lived. He knew that it
was Rosebud. He heard her stop. Then he heard her descend again. The next
moment she appeared in the doorway.

"What, Seth writing?" she exclaimed, her laughing eyes trying to look
seriously surprised. "I knew you were here by the smell of the smoke."

"Guess it was Rube's." Seth's face relaxed for a moment, then it returned
to its usual gravity.

"Then it must have been that pipe you gave him the other night," she
returned quick as thought.

Seth shook his head.

"Here it is," he said, and drew a pipe from his pocket. "He 'lowed he
hadn't no nigger blood in him."

"Too strong?"

"Wal--he said he had scruples."

Rosebud laughed, and came and perched herself on the edge of Seth's table.
He leant back in his chair and smiled up at her. Resignation was his only
refuge. Besides--

"So you're writing, Seth," the girl said, and her eyes had become really
serious. They were deep, deep now, the violet of them was almost black in
the evening light. "I wonder----"

Seth shook his head.

"Nobody yet," he said.

"You mean I'm to go away?" Rosebud smiled, but made no attempt to move.

"Guess I ain't in no hurry."

"Well, I'm glad of that. And you're not grumpy with me either, are you?
No?" as Seth shook his head. "That's all right, then, because I want to
talk to you."

"That's how I figgered."

"You're always figuring, Seth. You figure so much in your own quiet way
that I sometimes fancy you haven't time to look at things which don't
need calculating upon. I suppose living near Indians all your life makes
you look very much ahead. I wonder--what you see there. You and Rube."

"Guess you're side-tracked," Seth replied uneasily, and turning his
attention to the blank paper before him.

The girl's face took on a little smile. Her eyes shone again as she
contemplated the dark head of the man who was now unconscious of her gaze.
There was a tender look in them. The old madcap in her was taming. A
something looked out of her eyes now which certainly would not have been
there had the man chanced to look up. But he didn't. The whiteness of the
paper seemed to absorb all his keenest interest.

"I rather think you always fancy I'm side-tracked, Seth," the girl said at
last. "You don't think I have a serious thought in my foolish head."

Seth looked up now and smiled.

"Guess you've always been a child