bbed. Well, so-long, Miss Ware.
Hope you have a good trip."

He gripped her hand awkwardly, picked up his bridle lash, and thrust
one boot thoughtfully into the stirrup. Then, as if suddenly cognizant
of a neglected duty, he snapped his foot out and threw the lash back
on the ground.

"I'll say good-bye to the judge," he drawled, "so's to show they ain't
no hard feelin'. Your old man don't exactly fit in these parts," he
observed apologetically, "but he means well, I reckon. You can tell
'im some time that I was kind of excited when I quit."

His farewell was a sober and dignified affair, after the courtly
school of the South--no allusions to the past, no references to the
future, merely a gentlemanly expression of regret that his guest's
visit should have been so suddenly terminated. But when he turned to
Miss Kitty his masterful eyes began to glow and waver and he shifted
his feet uneasily.

"Kin I speak with you a minute outside?" he said at last; and Kitty,
still eager to read the heart of Man, the Unfinished, followed after
him, laughing as he stooped to pass his high hat through the door.

"Come on out by the corral," he urged, confidently leading the way.
When they were concealed by the corner of the fence he stopped and
dropped his bridle rein.

"Well, we've had a pretty good time together down here, hain't we?" he
observed, twisting the fringe of his shaps and smiling at her from
beneath his forelock. "I ain't got but a minute--and there's some
rough work ahead, I reckon--but I jest wanted to--well, I wanted to
give you this." He dove down into his overalls' pocket and brought up
a nugget, worn smooth by long milling around between his spare change
and his jackknife.

"That's a chunk of gold I found over by Red Butte one time," he said,
handing it over. "Thought you might want to keep it for me, you know.
But say--" He crowded his hands into his pockets and canted his head
to one side, ogling her roguishly.

Kitty had never observed just such conduct before, and she was
curious.

"Why--what?" she inquired, tossing back her hair tantalizingly.

"Don't I git nothin' to remember you by, little girl?" he demanded,
his voice vibrant with passion. "We've been pretty good friends, you
know. In fact--well, say, don't I git jest one kiss?"

He drew her gently into his arms as he spoke, waited a fraction of a
second for her to resist, and then kissed her, suddenly and with
masterful violence.

"One more,