burdened man.

"Well," he said, "you mustn't take things too quick from me nowadays."
She made no answer. "I've had a good deal of money trouble lately," he
went on, "everything going against me." He spoke moodily and his huge
frame lost in the bulk of his big storm coat overran almost
pathetically the slender chair in which he tried to sit. His spirit
seemed broken. "I reckon," he added, taking his hat from the table and
fingering it slowly, "you'd better come along back."

She was sorry for him. She told him how much she wished he would give
up trying to carry his big load, and she urged him to take a small
ranch and keep out of debt. He laid his hat down again. He told her
he didn't see how he could let it go, but they would talk it over when
she got home.

This was the point of his errand that she dreaded to meet and putting
it as inoffensively as possible she tried to parry: "I think," she
ventured, "now that I've got some clothes ready and got started, I'd
better go East for awhile anyway."

"No." His ponderous teeth clicked. "You'd better wait till fall. I
might go along. Tonight I'll take you out home. Put on your things
and we'll get started."

She did not want to refuse. She knew she could not consent. She knew
that Laramie in the shadow, as well as her father in the light, was
waiting for her answer: "Father," she said at once, "I can't go
tonight."

"Why not?" was the husky demand.

"Belle is sick in bed," pleaded Kate.

"Is that the only reason?"

She saw he was bound to wring more from her. "No," she answered, "it
isn't, father."

"What else?"

"I'm afraid----" she hesitated, and then spoke out: "I can't come
back--not just as I was, anyway."

"Why not?"

"It's too late, father."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"When I come back from the East," she spoke slowly but collectedly, "I
expect to go into a new home."

"Where?"

"In the Falling Wall."

For a moment he did not speak, only looked at her fixedly: "What I've
heard's so, then?" he said, after a pause.

"What have you heard?"

"The story is you're going to marry Jim Laramie."

Kate, in turn, stood silently regarding her father, and as if she knew
she must face it out.

"Is that so?" he demanded harshly.

She burst into tears, but through her tears the two men heard her
answer: "Yes, father."

Barb picked up his hat without wincing: "I guess that ends things
'tween you and me." He started uncertainly