ugh to see that she
also knew it.

He began at that moment an extended course of marvelling at the ways of
woman. For now she had reached the edge of the little open park, and was
placidly seating herself on a fallen tree in the grove of quaking
aspens. He could not understand this change of manner. And when he
reached the opening she again astounded him by greeting him with every
manifestation of surprise, from the first nervous start to the pushing
up of her dark brows.

"Why," she began, "how did you ever think of coming _here_?"

But he had twice hurried fruitlessly this hot morning and he was not
again to be baffled. As he advanced toward her, she regarded him with
some apprehension until he stopped a safe six feet away. She had noted
certain lines of determination in his face.

"Now what's the use of pretending?--what did you run for?"

"I?--_run_?"

Again the curving black brows went up in frank surprise.

"Yes,--you _run_!"

He took a threatening step forward, and the brows promptly fell to
serious intentness of his face.

"What did you do it for?"

She stood up. "What did I do it for?--what did I do _what_ for?"

But his eyes were searching her and she had to lower her own. Then she
looked up again, and laughed nervously.

"I--I don't know--I couldn't help it." Again she laughed. "And why did
you run? How did you think of coming here?"

"I'll tell you how, now I've caught you." He started toward her, but she
was quickly backing away into the opening of the little park, still
laughing.

"Look out for that blow-down back of you!" he called. In the second that
she halted to turn and discover his trick he had caught her by the arm.

"There--I caught you fair--_now_ what did you run for?"

"I couldn't help it." Her face was crimson. His own was pale under the
tan. They could hear the beating of both their hearts. But with his
capture made so boldly he was dumb, knowing not what to say.

The faintest pulling of the imprisoned arm aroused him.

"I'd 'a' followed you till Christmas come if you'd kept on. Clear over
the divide and over the whole creation. I never _would_ have given you
up. I'm never _going_ to."

He caught her other wrist and sought to draw her to him.

With head down she came, slowly, yielding yet resisting, with little
shudders of terror that was yet a strange delight, with eyes that dared
give him but one quick little look, half pleading and half fear. But
then after a few t