d
yet, without shock, she had seen Billy fight at Weasel Park in the same
primitive man-animal way. But it had been different. She recognized, but
could not analyze, the difference. She was aware only of the brutishness
of this man's hands and mind.

"You're lookin' white an' all beat to a frazzle," he was saying. "Why
don't you cut the work? You got to some time, anyway. You can't lose me,
kid."

"I wish I could," she replied.

He laughed with harsh joviality. "Nothin' to it, Saxon. You're just cut
out to be Mrs. Long, an' you're sure goin' to be."

"I wish I was as certain about all things as you are," she said with
mild sarcasm that missed.

"Take it from me," he went on, "there's just one thing you can be
certain of--an' that is that I am certain." He was pleased with the
cleverness of his idea and laughed approvingly. "When I go after
anything I get it, an' if anything gets in between it gets hurt. D'ye
get that? It's me for you, an' that's all there is to it, so you might
as well make up your mind and go to workin' in my home instead of the
laundry. Why, it's a snap. There wouldn't be much to do. I make good
money, an' you wouldn't want for anything. You know, I just washed up
from work an' skinned over here to tell it to you once more, so you
wouldn't forget. I ain't ate yet, an' that shows how much I think of
you."

"You'd better go and eat then," she advised, though she knew the
futility of attempting to get rid of him.

She scarcely heard what he said. It had come upon her suddenly that she
was very tired and very small and very weak alongside this colossus of
a man. Would he dog her always? she asked despairingly, and seemed to
glimpse a vision of all her future life stretched out before her, with
always the form and face of the burly blacksmith pursuing her.

"Come on, kid, an' kick in," he continued. "It's the good old summer
time, an' that's the time to get married."

"But I'm not going to marry you," she protested. "I've told you a
thousand times already."

"Aw, forget it. You want to get them ideas out of your think-box. Of
course, you're goin' to marry me. It's a pipe. An' I'll tell you another
pipe. You an' me's goin' acrost to Frisco Friday night. There's goin' to
be big doin's with the Horseshoers."

"Only I'm not," she contradicted.

"Oh, yes you are," he asserted with absolute assurance. "We'll catch the
last boat back, an' you'll have one fine time. An' I'll put you next
to some o