to engage him in
conversation, had quietly withdrawn, having no relish for being one of
a quartette where two did all the talking.

"Was he--an--educated man?" inquired Marian hesitatingly, feeling in a
vague way that the question might offend Jack.

"Yes, he war," replied that worthy in a contemplative tone. "When he
war drunk I hev hearn him talkin' a lot of stuff like po'try. Thar's a
pile of books in my cabin now that he used ter read consid'able. _I_
can't make head nor tail to 'em. P'r'aps you might."

"I would like to see them," said Marian eagerly.

Jack nodded, and a pause ensued. At length Scotty remarked that the
"old man," meaning Cutey, was "reyther late in lightin' up," at which
Jack arose and bade the stranger "good night."

Marian put out her hand, saying, "We will be good friends, I hope."

Circus Jack took it by the finger tips cautiously, careful not to hurt
it with his horny fingers.

"I'll do ary thing in the world fur yer, madam," he replied earnestly
and ingenuously.

"There was one thing I wished to ask," she said, "though it may be a
foolish question. Did you ever notice any--ring--that he wore
or--carried?"

"They _wus_ a ring, but I'm beat ef I kin tell what kind. Once when Jim
was turrible sick, an' his hand swelled up, I wanted to file it off,
but he fought so I couldn't. He said when he got well thet it never had
ben off, nor never shouldn't be while he had life to fight."

"Can't you tell me what it was like?" she asked.

"I ain't no hand," said Circus Jack, rubbing his head. "I'd know it ef
I seed it, but----"

"Was it like this?" She drew a dainty purse from her pocket, and took
from its safest corner a plain, flat band of gold, with a small disk on
it, shaped like the half of a heart placed horizontally.

"Prezactly!" exclaimed Circus Jack with emphasis.

She opened her purse to put it back, but it fell from her hand,
scattering her little stock of money over the floor, and a moment
after, when Mrs. Sharpe came in, in response to frantic halloos from
Scotty, she found Marian in a dead faint upon the floor, with Scotty
and Circus Jack, with hands clasped behind them, kneeling on either
side of her like uncouth angels, while scattered coins and escaping
masses of golden-brown hair formed a halo about her head.

She was ashamed of and provoked at her weakness afterward; said she was
fatigued with her long and wearisome ride, and that she never fainted
before; but if she