wife!" He laughed
under his breath. "How I calls yoh wife when I not gets one kees, me?
Now I calls yoh la sweetheart--good enough when I no gets so moch as
touches hand weeth yoh."

"I go way with you, you gets priest for make us marry?"
Annie-Many-Ponies edged closer so that she might read what was in his
face.

"Why yoh no trus' Ramon? Sure, I gets padre! W'at yoh theenk for speak
lies, me? Sure, I gets padre, foolish one! Me, I not like for yoh no
trus' Ramon. Looks like not moch yoh lov' Ramon."

"I good girl," Annie-Many-Ponies stated simply. "I love my husband when
priest says that's right thing to do. You no gets priest, I no go with
you. I think mens not much cares for marry all time. Womens not care,
they go to hell. That's what priest tells. Girls got to care. That's
truth." Simple as two-plus-two was the rule of life as Annie-Many-Ponies
laid it down in words before him. No fine distinctions between virtue
and superwomanhood there, if you please! No slurring of wrong so that
it may look like an exalted right. "Womens got to care," said
Annie-Many-Ponies with a calm certainty that would brook no argument.

"Sure theeng," Ramon agreed easily. "Yoh theenk I lov' yoh so moch if
yoh not good?"

"You gets priest?" Annie-Many-Ponies persisted.

"Sure, I gets padre. You theenk Ramon lies for soch theeng?"

"You swear, then, all same white mans in picture makes oath." There was
a new quality of inflexibility under the soft music of her voice. "You
lift up hand and says, 'Help me by God I makes you for-sure my wife!'"
She had pondered long upon this oath, and she spoke it now with an easy
certainty that it was absolutely binding, and that no man would dare
break it. "You makes that swear now," she urged gently.

"Foolish one! Yoh theenk I mus' swear I do what my hearts she's want?
I tell yoh many times we go on one ranch my brother Tomas says she's be
mine. We lives there in fine house weeth mooch flowers, yoh not so moch
as lif' one finger for work, querida mia. Yoh theenk I not be trus', me,
Ramon what loves yoh?"

"No hurt for swears what I tells," Annie-Many-Ponies stepped back from
him a pace, distrust creeping into her voice.

"All right." Ramon moved nearer. "So I make oath, perhaps you make oath
also! Me, I theenk yoh perhaps not like for leave Luck Leensay--I theenk
perhaps yoh loves heem, yoh so all time watch for ways to please! So I
swear, then yoh mus' swear also that yoh come for-sure. That s