ady for Trampas because I have been ready for him
any time these five years." He began far off from the point with that
rooted caution of his--that caution which is shared by the primal savage
and the perfected diplomat.

"There's cert'nly a right smart o' difference between men and women," he
observed.

"You're quite sure?" she retorted.

"Ain't it fortunate?--that there's both, I mean."

"I don't know about fortunate. Machinery could probably do all the heavy
work for us without your help."

"And who'd invent the machinery?"

She laughed. "We shouldn't need the huge, noisy things you do. Our world
would be a gentle one."

"Oh, my gracious!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, my gracious! Get along, Monte! A gentle world all full of ladies!"

"Do you call men gentle?" inquired Molly.

"Now it's a funny thing about that. Have yu' ever noticed a joke about
fathers-in-law? There's just as many fathers--as mothers-in-law; but
which side are your jokes?"

Molly was not vanquished. "That's because the men write the comic
papers," said she.

"Hear that, Monte? The men write 'em. Well, if the ladies wrote a comic
paper, I expect that might be gentle."

She gave up this battle in mirth; and he resumed:-- "But don't you
really reckon it's uncommon to meet a father-in-law flouncin' around
the house? As for gentle--Once I had to sleep in a room next a ladies'
temperance meetin'. Oh, heavens! Well, I couldn't change my room, and
the hotel man, he apologized to me next mawnin'. Said it didn't surprise
him the husbands drank some."

Here the Virginian broke down over his own fantastic inventions, and
gave a joyous chuckle in company with his sweetheart. "Yes, there's
a big heap o' difference between men and women," he said. "Take that
fello' and myself, now."

"Trampas?" said Molly, quickly serious. She looked along the road ahead,
and discerned the figure of Trampas still visible on its way to town.

The Virginian did not wish her to be serious--more than could be helped.
"Why, yes," he replied, with a waving gesture at Trampas. "Take him and
me. He don't think much o' me! How could he? And I expect he'll never.
But yu' saw just now how it was between us. We were not a bit like a
temperance meetin'."

She could not help laughing at the twist he gave to his voice. And she
felt happiness warming her; for in the Virginian's tone about Trampas
was something now that no longer excluded her. Thus he began his gradu