ow are you, Searle?" he said cheerily. "Got over your grouch?"

Bostwick looked him over with ill-concealed loathing.

"You thought you were clever, I suppose," he said in a growl-like tone
that certainly fitted his face. "What are you doing here, I'd like to
know?"

"Tottering angels!" said Van, "didn't that experience do you any good
after all? No wonder the convicts wouldn't have you!"

Beth was afraid for what Bostwick might have heard. She could not
censure Van for what he had done; she saw he would make no
explanations. At best she could only attempt to put some appearance of
the commonplace upon the horseman's visit.

"Mr. Van Buren came--to see Mrs. Dick," she faltered, steadying her
voice as best she might. "They're--very old friends."

"What's that?" demanded Bostwick, coming into the room and pointing at
the bright nugget pin, lying exposed upon the table. "Some present, I
suppose, for Mrs. Dick?" He started to take it in his hand.

Van interposed. "It's neither for Mrs. Dick nor for you. It's a
present I've made to Miss Kent."

Bostwick elevated his brows.

"Indeed?"

Beth fluttered in with a word of defense.

"It's just a little souvenir--that's all--a souvenir of--of my escape
from those terrible men."

"And Searle's return," added Van, who felt the very devil in his veins
at sight of Bostwick helpless and enraged.

Searle opened his lips as if to fling out something of his wrath. He
held it back and turned to Beth.

"It will soon be night. We have much to do. I suppose I may see you,
privately--even here?"

Beth was helpless. And in the circumstances she wished for Van to go.

"Certainly," she answered, raising her eyes for a second to the
horseman's, "--that is--if----"

"Certainly," Van answered cordially. "Good-by." He advanced and held
out his hand.

She gave him her own because there was nothing else to do--and the
tingling of his being made it burn. She did not dare to meet his gaze.

"So long, Searle," he added smilingly. "Better turn that grouch out to
pasture."

Then he went.

CHAPTER XX

QUEENIE

The shadows of evening met Van, as he stepped from the outside door and
started up the street. Then a figure emerged from the shadows and met
him by the corner.

It was Queenie. Her eyes were red from weeping. A smile that someway
affected Van most poignantly, he knew not why, came for a moment to her
lips.

"You didn't expect to see me here,