ornton pushed the door open, sweeping off his hat as he came in, and
said bluntly,

"I don't know what you folks are talking about, but I judge it's
important. And there's no sense in loose-endish talk when you don't know
who's listening."

The square built, square faced man tapping with big square finger ends
at the table in front of him whirled about suddenly, his gesture and
eyes alike showing his keen annoyance at the interruption. Then when he
saw who it was he got to his feet, saying crisply:

"I'm glad it's you. This young woman has got it into her head ..."

"You will remember, Mr. Templeton, that this is in strict confidence?"

Templeton's teeth shut with a click. Thornton turned from him and, with
his spurs in one hand, his hat caught in the other, stood looking down
upon the owner of the voice that was at once so fresh and young, so
coolly determined and vaguely defiant. And as he looked at her there was
much speculation in his grave eyes. Odd that he should stumble upon her
the first thing. Odd and--natural....

The girl's back was to him. For a moment she did not shift her position
the least fraction of an inch, but sat very still, leaning forward in
her chair, facing the banker. Then after a little when it was evident
that Templeton was going to say nothing more she turned slowly to the
new comer, her lashes sweeping upward swiftly as her eyes met his full
and steady. And the man from the Poison Hole ranch, his own eyes looking
down into hers very gravely, noted many things in the quick, keen way
characteristic of him.

He saw that her mouth, red lips about very white teeth, was smiling
softly, confidently; and yet that the brown-flecked grey of her eyes was
as unsmiling, as gravely speculative as his own eyes were. He saw that
her skin was a golden brown from life in the open outdoors, that she had
upon the heels of her boots a pair of tiny, sharp rowelled spurs, that a
riding quirt hung from her right wrist by its rawhide thong, that her
cheeks were a little flushed as though from excitement but that she knew
the trick of forbidding her eyes to tell what her excitement was. He saw
that her throat, where her neck scarf fell loosely away from it, was
very round and white. He saw that while her grey riding habit covered
her body it hid none of her body's grace and strength and slender
youthfulness.

While his eyes left hers to note these things her eyes had been as busy,
running from the man's clos