, startled, shy way; then snatched her
hand from him, and, with a wildly beating heart, scudded along the
passage and down the back stairs.

He sank into a chair, with a groan. What use? This creature, fine as
silk, the heiress of all that youth had to offer in daintiness and
charm, was not--could not be for such as he. He had gone too far on the
road to hell, ever to find such a heaven open to him.

How long he sat so, he did not know. Probably, not long, but gray
morning was sweeping back the curtain of darkness when he came from his
absorption with a start. Somebody had tapped thrice for admittance.

He arose and unlocked the door. A young woman stood outside the
threshold, peering into the semi-darkness toward him.

"Is it you, Phyl?" she asked.

The cattleman said nothing. On the spur of the moment, he could not
think of the fitting speech. The eyes of his visitor, becoming
accustomed to the dim light, saw before her the outline of a man. She
let out a startled little scream that ended in a laugh of apology.

"It's Phil, isn't it?"

There was no way out of it. "No--it's not Phil. Come in, ma'am, and I'll
explain," said Buck Weaver.

Instead, she turned and ran headlong, along the passage, down the
stairs, and into the kitchen. Here she came face to face with her young
mistress.

"What's the matter? You look as if you had seen a ghost."

"I have! At least, I've seen a man in your room."

"In my room? What were you doing there?" demanded Phyllis sharply.

"Looking for you. I wakened and found you gone. I thought--oh, I don't
know what I thought."

Phyllis knew perfectly how it had come about. Anna Allan was a very
curiosity box and a born gossip. She had to have her little pug nose in
everybody's business.

"So you think you saw somebody in my room?" her mistress said quietly.

"I don't think. I saw him."

"Saw whom? Phil, or was it Father?" suggested the other, with a hint of
gentle scorn.

"No--he was a stranger. I think it was Mr. Weaver, but I'm not sure."

"Nonsense, Anna! Don't be foolish. What would he be doing there? I'll go
and see myself. You stay here."

She went, and returned presently. "It must have been one of the boys. I
wouldn't say anything about it, Anna. No use stirring up bogeys now,
when everybody is excited over the escape of that man."

"All right, ma'am. But I saw somebody, just the same," the girl
maintained obstinately.

"No doubt it was Phil. He was up to see me."