while I talked. Of course he thought I wanted to play him some trick
about the ranch." Jack spoke indifferently. "I offered Josef everything
I had in the world, a hundred dollars father once gave me and my share
of my mother's jewelry, if he would only tell me what had become of
Olive. He wouldn't tell." Jack shook her head despairingly. "I am
beginning to believe Olive is dead."

"I don't think so, Jack, somehow, though I don't know," Ruth returned
gravely.

"I suppose there is something I ought to say to you, Cousin Ruth," Jack
continued quietly. "I ought to tell you and Jim that I am sorry that I
went off to the round-up against your wishes. Of course I am sorry, it
seems almost foolish for me to speak of it. I don't want to ask you to
forgive me, because of course I shall never think of forgiving myself
for losing Olive, no matter how long I live."

Ruth took hold of Jack's cold fingers. Jack spoke with perfect
self-control, but Ruth began dimly to understand something of her
disposition.

All at once, Jack's calmness gave way. She began to sob, as though she
were torn in pieces. "Oh, Cousin Ruth, won't Olive come back ever? I
used to think that having to give up our ranch would be the most
dreadful thing that could happen, but now I don't. Olive was so gentle
and so timid. I thought I was going to protect and take care of her as
though she were Frieda, but instead of that it was I who led her into
danger."

Ruth and Jack talked quietly after this, until Jean and Frieda came
home. Ruth had entirely lost her school-teacher manner and forgot to
preach.

Jack's reserve having once broken down, she told Ruth all she had
suffered in silence for the past few weeks.

Though Ruth and Jack might have many conflicts of their two strong wills
in the future, they would never misunderstand each other so completely
as they had done in the past.

[Illustration: SOMEONE CREPT UP BEHIND HER WITH THE STEALTHINESS
POSSIBLE ONLY TO AN INDIAN.]

CHAPTER XX.

OLIVE.

ON the day when Jacqueline Ralston's pony ran away so unexpectedly, and
Frank Kent commanded Olive to get out of danger, Olive had watched them
both for a few minutes in a kind of daze. She had then moved slowly
backward, keeping them both in sight, until she dimly saw Jack's leap
from her horse. She then continued alone along the trail which she and
Jack had traveled that morning, until the men and the cattle at the
round-up were entirely out of sigh