ship. That Helen just slipped out.'

'So I noticed. Is it a little habit of yours calling girls by their
first names when----'

'I don't know any girls,' he cut in vigorously.

She lifted her brows at him.

'How about Sanchia Murray? Isn't she----'

'Damn Sanchia Murray,' he said savagely.

'I'm talking about you! You and me.'

Helen gasped. Either his oath shocked her or she gave a very excellent
imitation of a maiden thunder-stricken by such language as she had
never dreamed a man could employ. Certainly not a man who had the
slightest claim to the title of a gentleman.

'I beg your pardon again,' muttered Howard. 'That's twice. And now
tell me, will you, what I've done?'

Just what had he done? Helen had to think fast. He was tall and
straight and manly, he stood looking honestly into her eyes, he was
good to look upon and he struck her as very much of a man all the way
through. Further, he had said 'Damn Sanchia Murray,' quite as though
he meant it with all his heart. Just what had he done?

'Are you going to tell me?' he was asking again. 'That's only fair,
you know.'

'Don't you know?' countered Helen. She looked the part of a girl who
knows very well herself, but is in doubt whether or not she should
speak about it.

'No,' he told her vigorously, 'honest to grandma, I don't. But I'm
sorry, just the same.'

Then, all suddenly and with no premeditation, Helen smiled and Alan
Howard's heart grew warm.

'Maybe sometime I'll tell you,' she informed him. 'If you didn't mean
it, we'll forget it now. And I'll try to believe that you didn't mean
anything.'

He was considerably puzzled. He scratched his head and wondered. So
there was something, then, that he had done to offend her? Then he was
a low-lived dog and should have been choked to death. He couldn't know
that there was really nothing in the world wrong, and never had been
anything wrong; that merely Helen had been musing upon a mare's name,
and that she had missed him, and did not intend that he should know it,
and had resorted to the ancient womanly trick of smiling upon another
man. At least Howard was relieved. The day grew bright again and he
could find it in his heart to thank God for Sanchia Murray, who still
monopolized Helen's father.

This monopoly was one which continued into the afternoon. For when
time came to ride on to San Ramon, Longstreet stated that Mrs. Murray
was going with them. It appeared that s