r. Donnegan?"

"Is that fair to me? Besides, I only follow a beaten trail in The
Corner."

"And that?"

"Toward Nelly Lebrun."

"A beaten trail? You?" she cried, with just a touch of anger. "I'm not a
child, Mr. Donnegan!"

"You are not; and that's why I am frank."

"You have done all these things--following this trail you speak of?"

"Remember," said Donnegan soberly. "What have I done?"

"Shot down two men; played like an actor on a stage a couple of times at
least, if I must be blunt; hunted danger like--like a reckless madman;
dared all The Corner to cross you; flaunted the red rag in the face of
the bull. Those are a few things you have done, sir! And all on one
trail? That trail you spoke of?"

"Nelly Lebrun--"

"I'm listening; and do you know I'm persuading myself to believe you?"

"It's because you feel the truth before I speak it. Truth speaks for
itself, you know."

"I have closed my eyes--you see? I have stepped into a masquerade. Now
you can talk."

"Masquerades are exciting," murmured Donnegan.

"And they are sometimes beautiful."

"But this sober truth of mine--"

"Well?"

"I came here unknown--and I saw you, Nelly Lebrun."

He paused; she was looking a little past him.

"I came in rags; no friends; no following. And I saw that I should have
to make you notice me."

"And why? No, I shouldn't have asked that."

"You shouldn't ask that," agreed Donnegan. "But I saw you the queen of
The Corner, worshiped by all men. What could I do? I am not rich. I am
not big. You see?"

He drew her attention to his smallness with a flush which never failed
to touch the face of Donnegan when he thought of his size; and he seemed
to swell and grow greater in the very instant she glanced at him.

"What could I do? One thing; fight. I have fought. I fought to get the
eye of The Corner, but most of all to attract your attention. I came
closer to you. I saw that one man blocked the way--mostly. I decided to
brush him aside. How?"

"By fighting?" She had not been carried away by his argument. She was
watching him like a lynx every moment.

"Not by that. By bluffing. You see, I was not fool enough to think that
you would--particularly notice a fighting bully."

He laid his open hand on the table. It was like exposing both strength
and weakness; and into such a trap it would have been a singularly
hard-minded woman who might not have stepped. Nelly Lebrun leaned a
little closer. She forgot to crit