k on the dark road with
the girl who, too, should be naturally opposed to him. In fact, here
at this very spot and at their first meeting she had announced herself
as a critic and an enemy. He could smile over that now; she herself
probably did smile at the recollection. Yet she was calmly discussing
his situation without animus or even unfriendliness.

How could that be possible if she actually loved the man whom she
expected to marry, Ed Sorenson? Why did she not at once spring to arms
in defense of the Sorenson side? Unless--unless she suspected the
baseness of her lover and his father, and fear had replaced love.

All at once she spoke.

"They will put you in jail if they can, and bring you to trial,
and--and----"

"And hang me, that's what you hesitate to say," Steele finished for
her. "Whom do you mean by 'they'?"

"The people."

"Are the people here in this county really 'they'? Do the people, that
is, the mass of poor ignorant Mexicans, have anything to do with
public affairs? Both you and I know they do not."

"Why deny it!" she sighed. "It's generally known that four men, with
a few more at their skirts, run things. They nominate the men who are
to fill office--there's only one political party in the county worth
mentioning--and give them orders and expect them to obey. For that
reason father would never accept an office. He could be coroner; he
could be county treasurer; he could go to the legislature; or anything
else--if he would but wear their political livery. But he prefers to
be a free man. I used to think nothing of it, see no wrong in such a
state of affairs, for everything went along well enough and about the
same as ever as far as I could see."

"Possibly you didn't see everything that was occurring below the
surface even then."

"Exactly what father told me yesterday. We talked about everything
under the sun, I imagine. And I informed him that you walked home with
me the night of the shooting; I had not spoken of it before."

"That was proper; he should know it."

"He doesn't share in the feeling against you, Mr. Weir, let me assure
you of that. Ever since he heard my explanation of the shooting and
then met you at the inquest, he's convinced that you're being done a
great injustice."

Steele experienced a warm glow of pleasure.

"I liked your father at first sight," said he, simply. "But where does
all this leave us?" He spoke in a light tone of amusement that he was
far from fee