rude
clasp again crept over her with an augmenting disgust and fear. Must she
submit to that? Had she promised that? And then Columbine felt the
dawning of realities.

CHAPTER VII

Columbine was awakened in the gray dawn by the barking of coyotes. She
dreaded the daylight thus heralded. Never before in her life had she
hated the rising of the sun. Resolutely she put the past behind her and
faced the future, believing now that with the great decision made she
needed only to keep her mind off what might have been, and to attend
to her duty.

At breakfast she found the rancher in better spirits than he had been
for weeks. He informed her that Jack had ridden off early for Kremmling,
there to make arrangements for the wedding on October first.

"Jack's out of his head," said Belllounds. "Wal, thet comes only onct in
a man's life. I remember ... Jack's goin' to drive you to Kremmlin' an'
ther take stage fer Denver. I allow you'd better put in your best licks
on fixin' up an' packin' the clothes you'll need. Women-folk naturally
want to look smart on weddin'-trips."

"Dad!" exclaimed Columbine, in dismay. "I never thought of clothes. And
I don't want to leave White Slides."

"But, lass, you're goin' to be married!" expostulated Belllounds.

"Didn't it occur to Jack to take me to Kremmling? I can't make new
dresses out of old ones."

"Wal, I reckon neither of us thought of thet. But you can buy what you
like in Denver."

Columbine resigned herself. After all, what did it matter to her? The
vague, haunting dreams of girlhood would never come true. So she went to
her wardrobe and laid out all her wearing apparel. Taking stock of it
this way caused her further dismay, for she had nothing fit to wear in
which either to be married or to take a trip to Denver. There appeared
to be nothing to do but take the rancher's advice, and Columbine set
about refurbishing her meager wardrobe. She sewed all day.

What with self-control and work and the passing of hours, Columbine
began to make some approach to tranquillity. In her simplicity she even
began to hope that being good and steadfast and dutiful would earn her a
little meed of happiness. Some haunting doubt of this flashed over her
mind like a swift shadow of a black wing, but she dispelled that as she
had dispelled the fear and disgust which often rose up in her mind.

To Columbine's surprise and to the rancher's concern the prospective
bridegroom did not return fro