gold fer to buy
di'monds fer that gal."

He laughed uproariously at his pleasantry as he leapt into the saddle.
But in a moment his mirth had passed, and his whole expression
suddenly hardened as he bent down from the saddle.

"But ef Pete comes around you git busy an' boot him right out. Pete's
bad--a real bad un. He's wuss'n Beasley. Wal, I won't say he's wuss.
But he's as bad. Git me?"

Joan nodded. She had no alternative. The fellow sickened her. She had
been ready to meet him as one of these irresponsible people, ignorant,
perhaps dissipated, but at least well-meaning. But here she found the
lower, meaner traits of manhood she thought were only to be found
amongst the dregs of a city. It was not a pleasant experience, and she
was glad to be rid of him.

"I think I understand. Good-bye."

"You're a bright gal, you sure are," the youth vouchsafed cordially.
"I guessed you'd understand. I like gals who understand quick. That's
the sort o' gal I'm goin' to hitch up with." He grinned, and crushed
his hat well down on his head. "Wal, so long. See you ag'in. Course I
can't git around till after I finish on my claim. Guess you won't feel
lonesome tho', you got to git your farm fixed right. Wal, so long."

Joan nodded as the man rode off, thankful for the termination of his
vicious, whirlwind visit. Utterly disgusted, she turned back to the
house to find Mrs. Ransford standing in the doorway.

"What's he want?" the old woman demanded in her most uncompromising
manner.

The girl laughed mirthlessly.

"I think he wants a little honesty and kindliness knocked into his
very warped nature," she declared, with a sigh.

"Warped? Warped?" The old woman caught at the word, and it seemed to
set her groping in search of adequate epithets in which to express her
feelings. "I don't know what that means. But he's it anyways--they all
are."

And she vanished again into the culinary kingdom over which she
presided.

CHAPTER XV

THE CLAIMS OF DUTY

Half an hour later Joan left the house for the barn.

In that brief space she had lived through one of those swiftly-passing
epochs in human life when mind, heart and inclination are brought into
something approaching actual conflict. But, stern as the fight with
weakness had been, she had emerged chastened and victorious.
Realization had come to her--realization of whither her troubles had
been leading her. She knew she must not abandon herself to the
selfishness wh