he must have drawn for Hillyer.

"I know very little about him," she replied quietly. "But I know that
Cousin Seth is mistaken."

"But how do you know he hates you?"

"He made that clear in the beginning--not me alone, but all women. He
shunned me. He told me twice that I must not speak to him again. And
this afternoon, while you waited for me--" Her voice broke, with a
laugh that was half a sob. "He--finished it."

"He was rude to you!" he cried. "I'll make him--"

She put her hand quickly on his arm.

"No. He was very gentle--and kind."

"What did he say?" Hillyer demanded, almost imperatively.

"He said that--he couldn't leave the ranch just now, so I'd better go
back to New York--at once."

"He did, did he?" cried Hillyer angrily, his chivalry for the moment
dominant. But then he saw suddenly another meaning, for him, in the
brutal ultimatum; and his face brightened. "That settles it, doesn't
it?" he exclaimed eagerly.

"Settles what?"

"Why, you'll go with me!"

"No."

"What do you mean?"

"I told you I'm not ready yet."

There was a silence while Hillyer, buoyed up with new hope, made some
hurried calculations.

"Then listen, Marion!" he said. "I'll go to Denver, and come back in a
week or ten days. I'll arrange things so that I can stay here
until--"

"Oh, Robert! You won't understand."

He stared at her blankly.

"You're making it so hard for me!" she cried pathetically. "I've told
you already that I cannot marry you."

"But why! Why!" he persisted.

"Because I haven't myself--I've nothing to give."

"But how can you love him after he has--"

"Told me he does not love me?" she said, taking the words from him.
"Then how can you love me when I have said the same thing to you?"

He struggled desperately, in deep water.

"It's different, Marion. You don't hate me--I think. You say you like
me. That's enough now--to start with. It's all I ask. I'll try to make
you happy, and I'll wait for love. You shall have all the things in
the world you want. I'm making scads of money. Everything I touch just
rolls up into bank notes. I want you to come and spend all that money
for me. Remember, Marion, your father wished it. If he were here
now--"

"Yes!" she put in with sudden fire. "If he were here now do you know
what he would say to me?"

He felt that he had blundered, and made no reply.

"He would say to me--Oh, I can hear him now! He would say: 'Follow
your heart, daughter. Love's t