ar a break in his voice on the last words. She
felt she must speak.

"I think your father is a wonderful old man," she said, "and your
mother must have been wonderful, too. You should be proud of them
both."

"Reenie, do you mean that?" he demanded. His eyes were looking
straight into hers. Once before he had faced her with that question,
and she had not forgotten.

"Absolutely," she answered. "Absolutely, I mean it."

"Then I'm goin' to say some more things to you," he went on, rapidly.
"Things 'at I didn't know whether to say or not, but now they've got to
be said, whatever happens. Reenie, I haven't ever been to school, or
learned lots of things I should 'a' learned, but I ain't a fool,
neither. I know 'at when you're home you live thousands of miles from
me, but I know 'at in your mind you live further away than that. I
know it's like all the prairies an' all the oceans were between us.
But I know, too, that people cross prairies an' oceans, an' I'm wantin'
to cross. I know it takes time, an' I'll be a slow traveller, but I'm
a mighty persistent crittur when I start out. I didn't learn to break
all those bottles in a day. Well, I can learn other things, too, an' I
will, if only it will take me across. I'm goin' to leave this old
ranch, someway, jus' as soon as it can be arranged. I'm goin' to town,
an' work. I'm strong; I can get pretty good wages. I've been thinkin'
it all over, and was askin' some questions in town to-day. I can work
days and go to school nights. An' I'll do it if--if it'll get me
across. You know what I mean. I ain't askin' no pledges, Reenie, but
what's the chance? I know I don't talk right, an' I don't eat
right--you tried not to notice, but you couldn't help--but Reenie, I
think right, an' I guess with a girl like you that counts more than
eatin' and talkin'."

She had thought she could say yes or no to any question he could ask,
but as he poured forth these plain passionate words she found herself
enveloped in a flame that found no expression in speech. She had no
words. She was glad when he went on.

"I know I'm only a boy, an' you're only a girl. That's why I don' ask
no pledge. I leave you free, only I want you to stay free until I have
my chance. Will you promise that?"

She tried to pull herself together. "You know I've had a good time
with you, Dave," she said, "and I've gone with you everywhere, like I
would not have gone with any other boy I ever kne