expect something of you, wouldn't I?"

"Not the right, but the privilege," she answered softly.

"This is where the Purnells live." He turned her into the pathway to the
door. "This is what I'd like, a neat little home like this, with a
couple of kiddies and some dogs. Then I could spend my out-door time at
the ranch."

Before Helen could reply to this, Mrs. Purnell appeared on the threshold
to welcome them, but to Wade's surprise, she told them that Dorothy was
not there.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," said Helen, with intense relief.

"I don't know where she went either," the mother went on. "She was out
for a few minutes soon after you left, Gordon. Then she came back and
called out something to me, but I didn't catch what she said. Before I
knew what she was doing she had saddled her pony and ridden off. But
come right in. I don't think she'll be gone long."

They entered and Helen, graciously choosing to overlook the fact that
this was evidently Wade's second visit there within a very short time,
sought to impress him with her tactfulness to Mrs. Purnell. She would
have been amazed could she have guessed that she was actually arousing
him to resentment. He felt, somehow, that she was patronizing their
hostess, who was a woman of refinement, even if she lacked the
artificiality of manner that Helen affected. He was sincerely glad when
the visit came to an end.

"You must come again," said Mrs. Purnell, in a spirit of friendliness.

"So glad to have met you," Helen replied. "I hope to have the pleasure
of meeting your daughter, too, before we leave Crawling Water."

"They're splendid women, both of them," Wade remarked, as they walked
back toward the center of the town.

"Oh, yes," Helen agreed, without much spirit. "Nice, comfortable home
people, I suppose."

"Best kind in the world."

"Gordon!" Helen laughed good-naturedly, facing him as she walked. "What
in the world has been the matter with you to-day? We usually get on so
well together, and to-day, if I do say it, only my unwillingness to
quarrel has kept us from it."

"Oh, no!" He smiled, too. "Maybe that New York and London business
rubbed me the wrong way; that's all. I have plenty of faults, but I'm
loyal to my friends. I don't like even hints that they aren't the best
friends a man could have."

"Surely, I haven't...."

"Maybe not. Maybe I imagined it. But Crawling Water is a lot more real
than London, to my way of thinking."

"You haven't been