knew."

"You mean you--like her?"

"Worse than that," said Max, with his cheery, confident smile. "I'm trying
to get her to say she likes me."

"And she?"

"Well, she won't meet me as near half-way as I would like," he confessed;
"talks a lot of stuff about not being brought up right, and not suited to
our style of life at home, and all that. But she did seem rather partial
to me when she was ill and off guard. Don't you think so? That is all I
have to go on; but it encourages me to remember it."

Overton did not speak, and Lyster continued speculating on his chances,
when he noticed his companion's silence.

"Why don't you speak, Dan? I did hope you would help me rather than be
indifferent."

"Help you!" and Lyster was taken aback at the fierce straightening of the
brows and the strange tone in which the words were uttered. The older man
could not but see his surprised look, for he recovered himself, and
dropped his hand in the old familiar way on Lyster's shoulder.

"Not much chance of my helping you when she employs you as an agent when
she wants any service, rather than exchange words with me herself. Now,
that is the way it looks, Max."

"I know," agreed Lyster. "And to tell the truth, Dan, the only thing she
does that really vexes me is her queer attitude toward you of late. I
can't think she means to be ungrateful, but--"

"Don't bother about that. Everything has changed for her lately, and she
has her own troubles to think of. Don't you doubt her on my account. Just
remember that. And if--she says 'yes' to you, Max, be sure I would rather
see her go to you than any other man I know."

"That is all right," observed Lyster, laughingly; "but if you only had a
love affair or two of your own, you could perhaps get up more enthusiasm
over mine."

Then he sauntered off to report the financial interview to 'Tana, and
laughed as he went at the impatient look flung at him by Overton.

He found 'Tana visiting at the tent of the cousins, who were using all
arguments to persuade her to share their new abode. Each was horrified to
learn that she had dismissed the squaw at sleeping time, and had remained
in the cabin alone.

"Not quite alone," she corrected, "for Harris was just on the other side
of the door."

"Much protection he would be."

"Well, then, Dan Overton was with him. How is he for protection?"

"Thoroughly competent, no doubt," agreed Miss Lavina, with a rather
scandalized look. "But, my de