hopelessness, and, realizing that he was for the moment forgotten,
Donald moved softly to the mountaineer's rifle, ejected the cartridges
from the magazine and pocketed them unobserved.

"I _kaint_ quit, Rose," answered Judd, looking into her face with a
hungry expression. "I kaint stop. Hit's my work, an' hit pays better
then ever hit done. I wants ter make money ... fer yo'. Besides, ef hit
hadn't ha' been fer the white liquor what I sell ter the storeman down
in Fayville, I wouldn't have been able ter sell yo'r baskets for ye. I
wouldn't hev had no money ter give ..."

He checked his impetuous, unconsidered words too late. The girl's quick
mind delved into his unspoken thought. She started and stepped back,
crying, "'To give?' Judd Amos, war hit yo' thet paid me ther extry price
on them baskets?"

Confused and distressed, the other remained silent until she repeated
her question insistently. Then he answered pleadingly, "I loves ye,
Smiles. Yo' know hit, an' so does _he_. I wanted ter holp ye, an' 'twar
ther only way."

Even while Donald--rejoicing in the opportunity to regain his
self-possession--had stood apart from the other two, none of the
conversation had escaped him. With his wrath now fanned to flame afresh
by Judd's apparent falsehood, he, too, burst into hot words without
pausing to consider the effect of them on the girl, "What? You dare
attempt to curry favor with her by lyingly claiming credit for the
additional money her work brought, you cur? You didn't know that I held
the cards to call that outrageous bluff, too, did you? You didn't know
that I bought every one of those baskets, and told the storekeeper what
price to pay for them, did you?"

No sooner had the anger-impelled words left his lips than Donald felt
heartily ashamed of himself, and wished that he might unsay them. Half
afraid, he turned his eyes toward the girl to find his fears realized.
Her eyes were flaming from her deathly white face, and a mingled look
of hurt pride and bitter scorn struggled for supremacy on her lips.

"Yo' ... yo' think I would accept yo'r charity?" she cried. "Yo' think I
would take money gifts from any man? I allows ter pay ye both every cent
uv thet money; and I hates ye ... I hates ye both."

For an instant she stood trembling with anger and mortification, then
turned and sped up the bank and away into the woods.

Judd sank down with a muffled groan, but Donald, shocked at the result
of his ill-advised