he could not know what hid in either of these
acts until they were fulfilled. And the hours became long, and sleep far
off, and the quietness of the house a torment, and the melancholy wail
of coyotes a reminder of happy girlhood, never to return.

* * * * *

When next day the long-deferred hour came Columbine selected a horse
that she could run, and she rode up the winding valley swift as the
wind. But at the aspen grove, where Wade's keen, gentle voice had given
her secret life, she suffered a reaction that made her halt and ascend
the slope very slowly and with many stops.

Sight of Wade's horse haltered near the cabin relieved Columbine
somewhat of a gathering might of emotion. The hunter would be inside and
so she would not be compelled at once to confess her secret. This
expectancy gave impetus to her lagging steps. Before she reached the
open door she called out.

"Collie, you're late," answered Wilson, with both joy and reproach, as
she entered. The cowboy lay upon his bed, and he was alone in the room.

"Oh!... Where is Ben?" exclaimed Columbine.

"He was here. He cooked my dinner. We waited, but you never came. The
dinner got cold. I made sure you'd backed out--weren't coming at
all--and I couldn't eat.... Wade said he knew you'd come. He went off
with the hounds, somewhere ... and oh, Collie, it's all right now!"

Columbine walked to his bedside and looked down upon him with a feeling
as if some giant hand was tugging at her heart. He looked better. The
swelling and redness of his face were less marked. And at that moment no
pain shadowed his eyes. They were soft, dark, eloquent. If Columbine had
not come with her avowed resolution and desire to unburden her heart she
would have found that look in his eyes a desperately hard one to resist.
Had it ever shone there before? Blind she had been.

"You're better," she said, happily.

"Sure--_now_. But I had a bad night. Didn't sleep till near daylight.
Wade found me asleep.... Collie, it's good of you to come. You look
so--so wonderful! I never saw your face glow like that. And your
eyes--oh!"

"You think I'm pretty, then?" she asked, dreamily, not occupied at all
with that thought.

He uttered a contemptuous laugh.

"Come closer," he said, reaching for her with a clumsy bandaged hand.

Down upon her knees Columbine fell. Both hands flew to cover her face.
And as she swayed forward she shook violently, and there escaped