. C. agent, and bought a safe in which to deposit her
lodgers' valuables. Frequently thereafter she sat guard all night over
considerable sums of money while the owners snored peacefully in the big
back room.

When winter closed down June began to see more and more of Harry Hope.
And she began to like him, too; for he was the sort to win women's
hearts, being big and boyish and full of merriment. He had spent several
years in the Northland, and its winds had blown from him many of the
city-born traits, leaving him unaffected, impulsive, and hearty. While
the frontier takes away some evil qualities it also takes some good
ones, and Harry Hope was not by any means a saint. As the nights grew
longer he gained the habit of dropping in to talk with June on his way
up-town. One evening he paused before leaving and asked:

"Can you take care of something for me, June?"

"Of course," she answered.

He flung a leather wallet into her lap, laughing. "You're the banker for
the community; so lock that up overnight, if you please."

"Oh-h!" she gasped. "There are thousands of dollars! I'd rather not."

"Come! you must! I didn't get it in time to put it in the company's
safe, and if I carry it around somebody will frisk me."

"Where are you going?"

"Down to Sternberg's. I'm going to outguess his faro-dealer. This is my
lucky night, you know."

Realizing full well the lawlessness of the camp, June felt a bit nervous
as she laid the money away. In the course of the evening, however, she
gradually lost her fears.

Some time after midnight, when the big front room of the bunk-house was
empty, the outside door opened, admitting a billow of frost out of which
emerged two men. They were strangers to June, and when she asked them if
they wished beds they said "No." They backed up to the stove and began
staring at their surroundings curiously.

It had never been June's practice to forbid any man the comfort of her
coal-burner, even though he lacked the price for a bed, but, remembering
the money in her safe, she sharply ordered these two out.

Neither man stirred. They blinked at her in a manner that sent little
spasms of nervousness up her spine.

"I tell you it's too late--you can't stay!"

"That's too bad," said one of them. He crossed toward the desk behind
which she sat, at which she softly closed the heavy safe door. It gave
out a metallic click, however, which caused the fellow's eyes to gleam.

"That safe ain't lock