ty indescribable, the patrician mouth trembling and the
sweet eyes brimming with appeal. Sharply he shut his teeth and sat
erect.

Only one woman in the world should be mother to his children--and that
woman was not the beauty crooning softly to that sleeping babe! He had
lost her for a little while but he would find her, and the way back
into her favor! And having found her, at whatever bitter cost, he would
never let her go again! He resolved that on the morrow he would ride
over to the C Bar and grovel in abasement at her feet if need be.

The woman sitting opposite him shivered telepathically and a tear fell
on the face of the child.

"He is weighing me against her," she thought, fearfully, "and I am
afraid--afraid! But I will not give him up! Oh, my God! I can not!"

And down at the C Bar Grace was crying to her heart:

"Will he come? Will he come?"

But it was Red McVey who came awooing in the soft dusk of the succeeding
evening, his handsome face bright with a great love, his six feet of
stalwart manliness begroomed with appropriate care. He was far from
possessing his ordinary confidence, but he came bravely to the point and
the girl's eyes held as much pride as they did sympathy for him.

"Your love is an honor to me," she said, gently. "I am proud to have
inspired such a feeling in so grand a man, and I shall thank God on my
knees for it to-night! But it is impossible, my dear friend; you will be
generous and spare me explanations--"

"Don't cry!" he said, gently, but his face was very white and drawn. "I
understand. Yuh are shore they ain't any hope. I'd wait foh yeahs?"

"No, dear friend, there is none. I do not think I shall ever marry. And
I am going away to-morrow."

She held out her hand and he bent awkwardly over it. Very softly he
pressed his lips upon the little pink palm. Then he stood erect, still
holding the fluttering fingers in both his bronzed hands.

"Yuh will neveh know what yuh've been to me," he said, gravely, "and
what yuh will always be to me still. It's goin' to hurt a little, of
course; but I'll have my dreams, and that's something. And I'm shore
yuah friend as you said. Gawd make yuh happy!"

Then he went quietly out, carefully closing the door behind him. The
girl waited until the last echo of his firm steps had died away. Then
she sat down beside the table, laid her face on her arms and cried
bitterly.

It never occurred to either of them that he had made no reference t