beautiful to look upon. That girl tagged
Phil. He couldn't get away an' be a gintleman."

I did not know then what he was saying, but I saw her face bloom again.

Later I had her alone a moment. We were eating water melon on the back
porch, half in the shadow, which we didn't mind, of course.

"May I take you home, Marjie, and tell you how sweet that letter was?" I
asked.

"Phil, I didn't know you were coming, and Richard Tillhurst asked me
just as you came in. I saw Amos Judson coming my way, so I made for the
nearest port."

"And you did right, dearie," I said very softly; "but, Marjie, don't
forget you are my girl, my only girl, and I'll tell you all about this
Topeka business to-morrow night. No, I'll write you a letter to-night
when I go home. You'll find it at 'Rockport' to-morrow."

She smiled up at me brightly, saying contentedly, "Oh, you are always
all right, Phil."

As we trailed into the kitchen from the water melon feast, Lettie
Conlow's dress caught on a nail in the floor. I stooped to loose it, and
rasped my hand against a brier clinging to the floppy ruffle (Lettie was
much given to floppy things in dress), and behold, a sprig of little red
blossoms was sticking to the prickles. These blooms were the kind Marjie
had sent me in her letter to Topeka. They grew only in the crevices
about the cliff. It flashed into my mind instantly that it was Lettie
who had passed me down on that ledge.

"I suppose I'll find her under my plate some morning when I go to
breakfast," I said to myself. "She is a trailer of the Plains. Why
should she be forever haunting my way, though?"

Fate was against me that night. Judson was called from the party to open
the store. A messenger from Red Range had come posthaste for some
merchandise. We did not know until the next day that it was the burial
clothes for the beautiful young girl whose grave held Dave Mead's heart.

Before Judson left, he came to me with Lettie.

"Will you take this young lady home for me? I must go to the store at
once. Business before pleasure with me. That's it, business first. Very
sorry, Miss Lettie; Phil will see you safely home."

I was in for the obligation. The Conlows lived four blocks beyond the
shop down toward the creek. The way was shadowy, and Lettie clung to my
arm. I was tired from my stage ride of a day and a half, and I had not
slept well for two nights. I distrusted Lettie, for I knew her
disposition as I knew her father's bef