m by
with no rebuke. Grant read the glance, and answered it.

"Mother Hart live long time in this place," he reminded him. "Hear bad
talk many times. This girl no hear; no likum hear. You sabe? You no
make shame for this girl." He glanced challengingly across the table at
Wally, whose grin was growing rather pronounced.

"Huh. Mebbyso you boss all same this ranch?" Peppajee retorted sourly.
"Mebbyso Peacefu' tellum, him no likum."

Peaceful, thus drawn into the discussion, cleared his throat again.

"Wel-l-l--WE don't cuss much before the women," he admitted
apologetically "We kinda consider that men's talk. I reckon Vadnie'll
overlook it this time." He looked across at her beseechingly. "You no
feelum bad, Peppajee."

"Huh. Me no makum squaw-talk." Peppajee laid down his knife, lifted a
corner of his blanket, and drew it slowly across his stern mouth. He
muttered a slighting sentence in Indian.

In the same tongue Grant answered him sharply, and after that was
silence broken only by the subdued table sounds. Evadna's eyes filled
slowly until she finally pushed back her chair and hurried out into the
yard and away from the dogged silence of that blanketed figure at her
elbow.

She was scarcely settled, in the hammock, ready for a comforting half
hour of tears, when someone came from the house, stood for a minute
while he rolled a cigarette, and then came straight toward her.

She sat up, and waited defensively. More baiting, without a doubt--and
she was not in the mood to remember any promises about being a nice,
gentle little thing. The figure came close, stooped, and took her by the
arm. In the half--light she knew him then. It was Grant.

"Come over by the pond," he said, in what was almost a command. "I want
to talk to you a little."

"Does it occur to you that I might not want to talk t to you?" Still,
she let him help her to her feet.

"Surely. You needn't open your lips if you don't want to. Just 'lend me
your ears, and be silent that ye may hear.' The boys will be boiling out
on the porch, as usual, in a minute; so hurry."

"I hope it's something very important," Evadna hinted ungraciously.
"Nothing else would excuse this high-handed proceeding."

When they had reached the great rock where the pond had its outlet,
and where was a rude seat hidden away in a clump of young willows just
across the bridge, he answered her.

"I don't know that it's of any importance at all," he said calmly. "I
got t