yself,' he said as Longstreet
followed him to the door, 'I should like to see what I can of you
during the next few days. And of Miss Helen,' he added with utter
frankness and clear meaning. 'I have business which will call me back
East before long.'

'Come as often as you can, my dear fellow,' invited Longstreet. But
his eyes had wandered toward the mining site which should have been
his, and his mind seemed to be less than half busied with Carr's words.
Carr, turning in the saddle, narrowed his eyes upon the university
man's face and, thinking that he had caught his thought, said bluntly:

'It's an infernal shame. It's all yours by right, and----'

'Oh,' cried Longstreet grandly, 'I'm not worrying about a little
diggings like that! Let them have it! Next time I'll show them a real
mine.'

'Well, I wish you luck,' rejoined Carr. But there was no great
conviction in his tone, since in his mind there was little expectation
that lightning was going to strike twice in the same place. However,
the caution came to his lips involuntarily: 'If there is a next time,
I'd be mighty careful whom I told about it. It will pay you to look
out for that Murray woman.'

Longstreet's face was puzzled and troubled.

'It does begin to look as though she gave me the--the double cross,
doesn't it?' he said as though he were afraid he must believe the worst
of Sanchia Murray despite his wish in the matter.

'It certainly does,' grunted Carr. 'She's absolutely no good.
Everybody knows it. Fight shy of her. Well, so long.'

'So long,' repeated Longstreet absently.

Carr rode away. Longstreet's eyes, following the galloping horse, were
still puzzled. 'I'm learning a thing or two,' he told himself soberly
as he went back into the cabin. Many times he nodded his head
thoughtfully. 'I've lived too long in another sort of world; now I am
coming to grips with real life, real men and women. There's a new set
of rules to grasp. Well,' and he straightened his thin body and a
flickering smile played over his lips, 'I can learn. As Barbee says of
stud poker: "You've got to set tight and keep your trap shut and your
eye peeled."'

Helen slept soundly all morning. Longstreet dozed, studied the maps he
had made during the last week and pottered. At noon they lunched
together, neither having a great deal to say. Helen regarded her
father more than ever as a baby who ought to be scolded and lessoned;
still, like any doting mo