ained; the eyes were steady and observant, as of
old; but the youthful red and white of his face had been replaced by a
clear tan, marked by lines of thought. In a country of bearded and
seldom-shaved men, Philip's clean face added not a little to that look
of distinction which had impressed the passengers on the _Far West_ and
gained the first enmity of Robert Burroughs.

Danvers was still unmarried. At rare intervals he read the old clipping
of the two souls separated and seeking each other, but the legend had
grown dim. The romantic dreams of boyhood were gone. He doubted that his
heart would ever be roused again; that the phoenix flame of love would
rise from the ashes of what he knew had been but the stirring of
adolescent blood when he fancied that he loved Eva Thornhill. The home
life of others had not impressed him as a dream fulfilled. The gradual
disillusionment of the many was disheartening, and Latimer's worn,
unhappy face was a constant reminder. Arthur Latimer! That blithe
Southerner--believer in men--and women! Philip knew what had made him
seek forgetfulness in the law and politics. The success of his friend,
who had reached his goal, on the supreme bench, had gratified Danvers,
and Latimer's enthusiasm and persistent belief in the ultimate good,
when the builders and founders of the newly formed State should merge
personal desires into one--one that had the best good of all for its
incentive, tempered his dislike for American politics.

Not long after the round-up, Philip Danvers received a call from Wild
Cat Bill, now known in Montana as the Honorable William Moore. His
ability to promote big enterprises, whether floating a mining company or
electing a friend to the legislature, was publicly known, and Danvers
wondered silently what had brought the politician from Helena to the
semi-deserted town of Fort Benton, and induced him to favor him with a
call.

"Yes, Danvers," volunteered the affable Moore, "I just thought I'd take
a few days off and see what the old place looked like."

Danvers noticed that he had dropped the vernacular, though his speech
was characteristic of the West.

"It's always a pleasure to go back to the early days, when we roughed it
together," Bill went on.

Philip doubted the pleasure. He recognized this sentiment as a very
recent acquisition in the Honorable William Moore, and waited for
further enlightenment as to the real purpose of the visit.

"The old bunch turned out