ing she
would make me hate her, I followed her shamelessly from patio to parlor,
porch to court, even to the waltz.

To her credit, she always weakened when some young fellow got her in a
corner and tried to push the flirting to extremes. Young Waters was the
only one lucky enough to kiss her, and there was more of strength in his
conquest of her than any decent fellow could be proud of.

When George Wright sought Sally out there was added to my jealousy a
real anxiety. I had brushed against Wright more than once that evening.
He was not drunk, yet under the influence of liquor.

Sally, however, evidently did not discover that, because, knowing her
abhorrence of drink, I believed she would not have walked out with him
had she known. Anyway, I followed them, close in the shadow.

Wright was unusually gay. I saw him put his arm around her without
remonstrance. When the music recommenced they went back to the house.
Wright danced with Sally, not ungracefully for a man who rode a horse as
much as he. After the dance he waved aside Sally's many partners, not so
gaily as would have been consistent with good feeling, and led her away.
I followed. They ended up that walk at the extreme corner of the patio,
where, under gaily colored lights, a little arbor had been made among
the flowers and vines.

Sally seemed to have lost something of her vivacity. They had not been
out of my sight for a moment before Sally cried out. It was a cry of
impatience or remonstrance, rather than alarm, but I decided that it
would serve me an excuse.

I dashed back, leaped to the door of the arbor, my hand on my gun.

Wright was holding Sally. When he heard me he let her go. Then she
uttered a cry that was one of alarm. Her face blanched; her eyes grew
strained. One hand went to her breast. She thought I meant to kill
Wright.

"Excuse me," I burst out frankly, turning to Wright. I never saw a
hyena, but he looked like one. "I heard a squeal. Thought a girl was
hurt, or something. Miss Sampson gave me orders to watch out for
accidents, fire, anything. So excuse me, Wright."

As I stepped back, to my amazement, Sally, excusing herself to the
scowling Wright, hurriedly joined me.

"Oh, it's our dance, Russ!"

She took my arm and we walked through the patio.

"I'm afraid of him, Russ," she whispered. "You frightened me worse
though. You didn't mean to--to--"

"I made a bluff. Saw he'd been drinking, so I kept near you."

"You return go