come to you or send for you. May I?"

"Any time," I answered, and she went in, seeming quite cheered up. I
suppose she needed that blow-off, like an engine too full of steam. I
wonder if it was wrong to feel for her? But it must be remembered that I
had very little religious bringing up.

Well, the party came to an end presently, and Judge Stone came out and
holloed for me to bring the team. When I drove up to the door he asked
me in a low tone to come and help carry the money out. The governor
unlocked his office, and then the safe, and took out the bag, which he
handed to Judge Stone.

"Heavy as ever," said the judge. "Catch hold here, Jake, and help me
carry it."

"A heavy responsibility at least," said the governor. The governor's
hired people of whom he had always a large force had not taken part in
the proceedings of the party, but most of them were gathered about as we
took our departure. They were to a great extent the younger men among
the settlers, and the governor in later times never got tired of saying
how much he had done for the early settlers in giving them employment.

N.V. Creede in answering him in campaigns always said that if he gave
the boys work, they gave the governor labor in return, and at a dollar a
day it seemed to him that the governor was the one who was under
obligations to them. It is a curious thing that people who receive money
are supposed to be under obligations to those who pay it, no matter what
the deal may be. We say "thank you" to the man who pays us for a day's
wages; but why, if the work is worth the money?

Well, as I looked about among the governor's working people, as I have
said, I saw a head taller than the rest, the big form of Pitt
Bushyager. He was looking at me with that daredevil smile of his, the
handsomest man there, with his curling brown mustache and goatee; and
nodded at me as the judge got into the carriage in the back seat with
Mrs. Stone, and Virginia came up in her pretty pink silk, with the
Paisley shawl around her shoulders, to be helped up into the front seat
with me. The satchel of money was placed under the seat where the judge
could feel it with his feet.

We drove off in that silence which comes with the drowsiness that
follows excitement, especially along toward morning. The night was dark
and still. Virginia's presence reminded me of those days of happiness
wher we drove into Iowa alone together; but I was not happy I had lived
with this gir