No secrets, Belle;
stay if you want to."

All sat down. Kate was for a chair, but Laramie domineering, made her
sit with him on the sofa. Barb spoke first: "This Falling Wall fight
is off," he began briefly. "Anyway, I quit on it. I've got to, Jim.
The settlers there are in to stay," declared Barb philosophically.
"They've got to be reco'nized." The settlers, in this instance, meant
Jim Laramie, since practically everyone else had been driven or
frightened out. But all understood what was intended; for if the
fighting ceased the park would fill up.

"Since yesterday," Doubleday went on, "I've found out something else."
He was speaking directly to Laramie. "That man Stone," he exclaimed,
"has been robbing me."

The old man paused. No one made any comment. Abe Hawk had long ago
told Laramie as much. "He's been misbranding on me--him and that
rascally Van Horn have been selling my steers to the railroad camps on
the Reservation. I've got the evidence from some Indians that came
over yesterday with the hides. Last night," continued the victim
coolly, "I fired Stone. He went right over to Van Horn's. I told him
that's where he belongs. I'm through with 'em both."

"Why don't you have 'em arrested?" demanded Belle.

"I might, yet," muttered Barb vaguely.

Laramie held his peace; but even Kate realized _that_ would never do.
"Jim and me has had our differences," added Barb, "but they're ended.
If you two get married----"

"There ain't goin' to be any 'if,' Barb," interposed Laramie, "there's
just going to be 'married,' and married right off."

"Well, that's for you and the girl to say; but when you say it, you've
got to have a house to live in. I met Jim," added her father, speaking
now to Kate, "over in the lumber yard this morning. When you get your
house up, turn the bill in to me."

Kate's kisses confused and stopped her father. Belle made ready a good
dinner. The four ate together. Belle was excited, Kate happy and
Laramie content. But for the old man it was somehow hard to fit in.
Having had his say, he relapsed into grim silence and taciturn
responses. Even his presence would have repressed Belle but for Kate's
happy laugh. She looked at her father, talked to him, thought of him,
studied him, and throwing off lingering doubts--for she never felt she
quite knew her father--enjoyed him, eating as he was in peace with her
husband-to-be.

When Laramie's cigars were lighted after the dinne