hat would be
glad of the chance to stir up trouble for him. You--just dreamed all
that. I'm asking you to forget a bad dream, that's all, and not go
telling it to other folks."

For some time Lorraine did not answer. The horses conversed with sundry
nose-rubbings, nibbled idly at convenient brush tips, and wondered no
doubt why their riders were so silent. Lone tried to think of some
stronger argument, some appeal that would reach the girl without
frightening her or causing her to distrust him. But he did not know what
more he could say without telling her what must not be told.

"Just how would it make trouble for my father?" Lorraine asked at last.
"I can't believe you'd ask me to help cover up a crime, but it seems
hard to believe that a nightmare would cause any great commotion. And
why is my father unpopular?"

"Well, you don't know this country," Lone parried inexpertly. "It's all
right in some ways, and in some ways it could be a lot improved. Folks
haven't got much to talk about. They go around gabbling their heads off
about every little thing, and adding onto it until you can't recognize
your own remarks after they've been peddled for a week. You've maybe
seen places like that."

"Oh, yes." Lorraine's eyes lighted with a smile. "Take a movie studio,
for instance."

"Yes. Well, you being a stranger, you would get all the worst of it. I
just thought I'd tell you; I'd hate to see you misunderstood by folks
around here. I--I feel kinda responsible for you; I'm the one that found
you."

Lorraine's eyes twinkled. "Well, I'm glad to know one person in the
country who doesn't gabble his head off. You haven't answered any of my
questions, and you've made me feel as if you'd found a dangerous, wild
woman that morning. It isn't very flattering, but I think you're honest,
anyway."

Lone smiled for the first time, and she found his smile pleasant. "I'm
no angel," he disclaimed modestly, "and most folks think I could be
improved on a whole lot. But I'm honest in one way. I'm thinking about
what's best for you, this time."

"I'm terribly grateful," Lorraine laughed. "I shall take great care not
to go all around the country telling people my dreams. I can see that it
wouldn't make me awfully popular." Then she sobered. "Mr. Morgan, that
was a _horrible_ kind of--nightmare. Why, even last night I woke up
shivering, just imagining it all over again."

"It was sure horrible the way you talked about it," Lone assured h