which her glances persisted in flitting. While he
marveled, without any manifestations of sorrow whatever, at the curve
of her throat and the satin texture of that cheek turned toward him, he
told her drawlingly all there was to tell of the night before. And
after a time Barbara forgot her warm face and the too plain message
there in his eyes, in her growing excitement over that recitation.
When he stopped her first question instinctively pounced upon the one
detail he had purposely withheld.

"But you must have an inkling as to the man's identity," she cried.
"Why, you've got to find that out, before he does more harm next time.
Haven't you a suspicion, even?"

One foot swung free; she leaned forward in her eagerness, a slender and
entirely boyish figure in diminutive breeches and boots and
straight-lined coat. And the man laughed aloud up into her flushed
face, softly and not quite steadily at her hostile indignation, her
intuitive feminine curiosity, and most of all, most unsteadily, at his
wonder of her, herself.

"Why, yes," he admitted. "Both Joe and I do believe we know who it
was, but we aren't sure because we don't understand yet what that man's
motive might be. I'd tell you, only I don't like to accuse anybody
until there is cause for it. But that's what brought me down here this
morning--that and because I wanted to tell Miss Burrell that Garry is
safe, and will continue to be from now on, I hope. Those were two of
my reasons for coming, at least. I had a more important one than
either, but----"

Barbara did not wait for him to tell her what it was. She was staring
at him in unfeigned surprise.

"To tell Miriam?" she echoed. "Do you--you can't mean that you knew
she cared for Garry?"

"Didn't you?"

The girl shook her head.

"Never, until just a little while ago! I--do you know, in the last few
days I've begun to realize how much more you--other people--observe
than I do. I've begun to wonder if I haven't been very blindly
self-sufficient. For I never dreamed of such a thing, until something
happened after I left you last night." Her voice faltered, but her
eyes clung resolutely to his. "She came to me and asked me if I knew
where he had gone. She had seen him ride away, too, Mr. O'Mara. And I
learned it then, just from the terror in her face. But I didn't know
until later how much she cared.

"She came into my room this morning, and that, although you can't know
it, was more th