oman wondered at his manner. He was so hurried, and appeared
so nervous and unlike himself.

"But, Patches, I--"

"You must!" he interrupted with a quick look toward the Dean, who was
approaching them. "I have something to tell you--something that I must
tell you to-night."

He turned to speak to the Dean, and Kitty presently left them. An hour
later, when the night had come, she found him waiting as he had said.

"Listen, Kitty!" he began abruptly, and she thought from his manner and
the tone of his voice that he was in a state of nervous fear. "I must
go; I dare not stay here another day; I am going to-night."

"Why, Patches," she said, forcing herself to speak quietly in order to
calm him. "What is the matter?"

"Matter?" he returned hurriedly. "You know what they tried to do to me
this morning."

Kitty was shocked. It was true that she did not--could not--care for
this man as she loved Phil, but she had thought him her dearest friend,
and she respected and admired him. It was not good to find him now like
this--shaken and afraid. She could not understand. For the moment her
own trouble was put aside by her honest concern for him.

"But, Patches," she said earnestly, "that is all past now; it cannot
happen again."

"You do not know," he returned, "or you would not feel so sure. Phil
might--" He checked himself as if he feared to finish the sentence.

Kitty thought now that there must be more cause for his manner than she
had guessed.

"But you are not a cattle thief," she protested. "You have only to
explain who you are; no one would for a moment believe that Lawrence
Knight could be guilty of stealing; it's ridiculous on the face of it!"

"You do not understand," he returned desperately. "There is more in this
than stealing."

Kitty started. "You don't mean, Patches--you can't mean--Phil--" she
gasped.

"Yes, I mean Phil," he whispered. "I--we were quarreling--I was angry.
My God! girl, don't you see why I must go? I dare not stay. Listen,
Kitty! It will be all right. Once I am out of this country and living
under my own name I will be safe. Later you can come to me. You will
come, won't you, dear? You know how I want you; this need make no change
in our plans. If you love me you--"

She stopped him with a low cry. "And you--it was you who did that?"

"But I tell you we were quarreling, Kitty," he protested weakly.

"And you think that I could go to you now?" She was trembling with
indignation.