down upon the sidewalk. There was a furtive gleam in his
eyes, his face was flushed; he was in the grip of a passion that
thoughts of Ruth Hamlin had brought to him. He had seen the girl a
number of times; he had talked with her twice. Each time when he had
talked with her he had felt the heat of a great desire seize him. And
during his talk with Singleton he had yielded to the impulse that was
now driving him.

Just why the impulse had come to him at that instant he could not have
told. He knew Kane Lawler's name had been mentioned in connection with
the girl's; and it might have been that his hatred of Lawler, and the
sudden jealousy that had developed in him over the incident of the
fluttering handkerchief, had gripped him. But he was aware that just at
this time he was risking much--risking his life and jeopardizing the
business venture in which he was engaged. Yet the impulse which was
driving him had made him reckless; it had dulled his sense of
responsibility; had swept away all considerations of caution. When he
saw there was no one on the street he walked eastward to the livery
stable where he kept his horse, saddled and bridled it, mounted and rode
away.

His ranch, the Two Diamond, was fifteen miles southwestward. Warden rode
directly east, bearing a little south after he had traveled some
distance from town, striking a narrow trail that wound a sinuous course
over the plains.

The passion that had seized Warden still held him. He told himself that
he really intended merely to call upon Ruth professionally, in his role
of school commissioner; he assured himself that she must be made to
understand that the forcible disciplining of her pupils would not be
tolerated. Yet as he rode he kept glancing backward apprehensively,
though he knew that if he made his visit merely official he need have
nothing to fear from anyone.

Twice, as Warden rode, he halted his horse and debated the wisdom of
returning. And twice he rode on again telling himself he had a right to
visit the girl, and that he meant no harm.

At most he desired merely to see the girl again, to experience the
thrills that he had felt upon the other occasions he had talked with
her. And when at dusk he came in sight of the Hamlin cabin he felt that
he had really come on an official visit.

He saw Ruth's pony saddled and bridled, standing at a corner of the
corral, where she had left him when she had returned from the
schoolhouse some hours befor