not intervened. She's a noble girl, father, and is foolish enough to like
me, and I'm going to marry her and try to make her happy."

The old lumberman, who had listened intently all through this impassioned
story, displayed no sign of surprise at its closing declaration; but his
eyes explored his son's soul with calm abstraction. "Send her over to
me," he said, at last. "Marriage is a serious matter. I want to talk with
her--alone."

Wayland went back to the women with an air of victory. "He wants to see
you, Berrie. He's mellowing. Don't be afraid of him."

She might have resented the father's lack of gallantry; but she did not.
On the contrary, she rose and walked resolutely over to where he sat,
quite ready to defend herself. He did not rise to meet her, but she did
not count that against him, for there was nothing essentially rude in his
manner. He was merely her elder, and inert.

"Sit down," he said, not unkindly. "I want to have _you_ tell me about my
son. He has been telling me all about you. Now let's have your side of
the story."

She took a seat and faced him with eyes as steady as his own. "Where
shall I begin?" she bluntly challenged.

"He wants to marry you. Now, it seems to me that seven weeks is very
short acquaintance for a decision like that. Are you sure you want him?"

"Yes, sir; I am." Her answer was most decided.

His voice was slightly cynical as he went on. "But you were tolerably
sure about that other fellow--that rancher with the fancy name--weren't
you?" She flushed at this, but waited for him to go on. "Don't you think
it possible that your fancy for Wayland is also temporary?"

"No, sir!" she bravely declared. "I never felt toward any one the way I
do toward Wayland. He's different. I shall _never_ change toward him."

Her tone, her expression of eyes stopped this line of inquiry. He took up
another. "Now, my dear young lady, I am a business man as well as a
father, and the marriage of my son is a weighty matter. He is my main
dependence. I am hoping to have him take up and carry on my business. To
be quite candid, I didn't expect him to select his wife from a Colorado
ranch. I considered him out of the danger-zone. I have always understood
that women were scarce in the mountains. Now don't misunderstand me. I'm
not one of those fools who are always trying to marry their sons and
daughters into the ranks of the idle rich. I don't care a hang about
social position, and I've got mon