By that time it had been decided to have a
luncheon instead of a dinner. Dicksie attempted some soup, and McCloud
found a strip of bacon, and after he had cooked it, Dicksie, with her
riding-skirt pinned up and her sleeves delightfully rolled back, began
frying eggs. When Marion, unable longer to withstand the excitement,
appeared, the engineer, flushed with endeavor, was making toast.

The three sat down at table together. They found they had forgotten
the coffee, but Marion was not allowed to move from her chair. When
the coffee was made ready the bacon had been eaten and more had to be
fried. McCloud proved able for any part of the programme, and when
they rose it was four o'clock and too late, McCloud declared, to go
back to the office that afternoon.

Marion and Dicksie, after a time, attempted jointly to get rid of him,
but they found they could not, so the three talked about Whispering
Smith. When the women tried to discourage McCloud by talking hats he
played the wheezy piano, and when Dicksie spoke about going home he
declared he would ride home with her. But Dicksie had no mind that he
should, and when he asked to know why, without realizing what a flush
lingered in his face, she said only, no; if she had reasons she would
give none. McCloud persisted, because under the flush about his eyes
was the resolve that he would take one long ride that evening, in any
event. He had made up his mind for that ride--a longer one than he had
ever taken before or expected ever to take again--and would not be
balked.

Dicksie, insisting upon going home, went so far as to have her horse
brought from the stable. To her surprise, a horse for McCloud came
over with it. Quiet to the verge of solemnity, but with McCloud
following, Dicksie walked with admirable firmness out of the shop to
the curb. McCloud gave her rein to her, and with a smile stood waiting
to help her mount.

She was drawing on her second glove. "You are not going with me."

"You'll let me ride the same road, won't you--even if I can't keep
up?"

Dicksie looked at his mount. "It would be difficult to keep up, with
that horse."

"Would you ride away from me just because you have a better horse?"

"No, not _just_ because I have a better horse."

He looked steadily at her without speaking.

"Why must you ride home with me when I don't want you to?" she asked
reproachfully. Fear had come upon her and she did not know what she
was saying. She saw only the