"Whose?"

"Why, I was thinking of Mr. Wynkoop."

"Howard; I saw it written in some books he loaned me. But the people
here never address him in that way."

"No, I suppose not, only I thought I should like to know what it was."

There was a considerable pause; then the speaker asked, calmly, "Is he
married?"

"Mr. Wynkoop? Why, of course not; he does n't care for women in that
way at all."

Miss Spencer bound her hair carefully with a bright ribbon. "Maybe he
might, though, some time. All men do."

She sat down in the low rocker, her feet comfortably crossed. "Do you
know, Naida dear, it is simply wonderful to me just to remember what
you have been through, and it was so beautifully romantic--everybody
killed except you and that man, and then he saved your life. It's such
a pity he was so miserable a creature."

"He was n't!" Naida exclaimed, in sudden, indignant passion. "He was
perfectly splendid."

"Aunt Lydia did n't think so. She wrote he was a common gambler,--a
low, rough man."

"Well, he did gamble; nearly everybody does out here. And sometimes I
suppose he had to fight, but he wasn't truly bad."

Miss Spencer's eyes evinced a growing interest.

"Was he real nice-looking?" she asked.

Naida's voice faltered. "Ye--es," she said. "I thought so. He--he
looked like he was a man."

"How old are you, Naida?"

"Nearly eighteen."

Miss Spencer leaned impulsively forward, and clasped the other's hands,
her whole soul responding to this suggestion of a possible romance, a
vision of blighted hearts. "Why, it is perfectly delightful," she
exclaimed. "I had no idea it was so serious, and really I don't in the
least blame you. You love him, don't you, Naida?"

The girl flashed a shy look into the beaming, inquisitive face. "I
don't know," she confessed, soberly. "I have not even seen him for
such a long time; but--but, I guess, he is more to me than any one
else--"

"Not seen him? Do you mean to say Mr. Hampton is not here in Glencaid?
Why, I am so sorry; I was hoping to meet him."

"He went away the same night I came here to live."

"And you never even hear from him?"

Naida hesitated, but the frankly displayed interest of the other won
her complete girlish confidence. "Not directly, but Mr. Herndon
receives money from him for me. He does n't let your aunt know
anything about it, because she got angry and refused to accept any pay
from him. He is somewhere over yonder in th