riven frantic by the fear of exposure and the resulting
disgrace of the whole family, the boy lost his head and tried to buy his
persecutors off. And to do this he took money out of the safe. But what's
the use of prolonging the agony? Finally he forged my father's signature,
and when the check came back from the bank he tried to 'fix' the books,
and got caught.

"I'll pass over everything that followed, except to say that the disgrace
did not become public. But it broke father's heart and hastened his death.
When that occurred it was found that practically all the estate had come
to me, and this fellow Smithy Caldwell threatened to disclose the forgery
if I did not buy him off.

"That scared me, because I was now the head of the family, and I handed
over two thousand dollars. Then I came West, and thought the whole matter
was buried, until Caldwell turned up at the Bar T that night for supper.

"That's about all. You see, it's an ugly story, and it paints Lester
pretty black. But I've thought the thing over a great many times, and
can't blame him very much, after all, for it really was the result of my
father's stern and narrow policy. The boy was in his most impressionable
years, and was left to face the music alone. It seemed to age him
mightily."

"But what will happen now?" asked Julie anxiously. "Aren't the other two
still alive? Can't they make trouble?"

"Yes, but I don't think they will. I have the drop on Smithy now, and he
will either write a full dismissal of the matter for all three of them or
he will swing with the rustlers. And if I know my Smithy Caldwell, he
won't be able to get pen and paper fast enough."

"But can you save him, even at that cost, do you think? The cowmen won't
understand all this."

"That will rest with your father, dear," replied Bud, getting to his feet.
"Now, let's go over and see him, for I have something else I want to ask
him."

His face that had been clouded during his recital was suddenly flooded
with the sunlight of his smile, and Julie realized for the first time what
it had cost him to lay bare again these painful memories of a past he had
sought to bury.

When he had helped her to her feet she went to him and laid her hands on
his shoulders, looking up into his face with eyes that brimmed with the
loosed flood of her love, so long pent up.

"Can I ever be worth what I have cost you to-day?" she asked humbly.

Tenderly he gathered her to him.

"In love there