of it hurts."

"You poor thing," she said with mock compassion; "how your talents have
been wasted. What a pity that the virtue born of necessity is not
entitled to commendation."

"Is there any virtue entitled to that?" he asked shamelessly. She drew a
little apart from him, really shocked and not a little apprehensive.

"Certainly not that of Evolution," she said with some acerbity. "Against
the stone ax and brutal strength of the Cave Man, woman's helpless
trust, love and dependency are just as inadequate as it was in the
beginning, aeons ago. But even barbarians can, with profit, learn the
lesson of decent forbearance."

"Stung!" His comical grimace and slangy confession of her sharper point
completely disarmed her and she sheathed her rapier with a smile. But
for the life of her she could not resist the temptation to bait this
good-natured bear.

"After all, we are only a step removed from the Primitive," she said
plaintively, "and in this wonderful environment of yours one comes
actually within touch. Here we are at swords-points already, and only a
few moments ago I was in your arms." Her heart was quaking at her great
audacity as he made a sudden movement that brought him so near that his
elbow grazed her shapely waist.

"Backward, oh! backward, turn, Time, in thy flight!" he hummed
longingly. Unconsciously she swayed towards him for the fraction of an
inch. She was even closer to the border-land than she had deemed.

Red McVey, coming for the mail, greeted them as they ascended the porch
steps of the little hostelry. She very graciously laid her hand in his,
and her face beamed with positive pleasure as he awkwardly congratulated
her upon her splendid appearance.

"Well, little ole N'Yawk ain't done you no hurt as I kin see. Reckon
I'll have to winter theah a spell mahself when mah caows come home," he
said enthusiastically. "Yuah lookin' purtier 'n a red heifer."

Douglass grinned at her rosy confusion. "You've got a good eye for
color, Red. But you ought to cultivate the virtue of forbearance, ought
he not, Mrs. Brevoort?" But she scornfully ignored him and was rather
profuse in her protestations to Red of her happiness at being back in
"God's country" again.

At the dinner table that night Douglass maliciously reverted to the
topic of forbearance. Turning to McVey he assumed a becoming gravity
which the twinkle in his eyes belied.

"Say, old-timer, Mrs. Brevoort is skeptical of we poor cowpunch