Casey turned to her. "Tell me he isn't raving mad! Is it so?"

"It's so," she said, "but I----" He interrupted by catching her in his
arms.

"Here, hold on, old man!" Wade protested. "Gratitude's a fine thing,
but you're too----"

His wife took him by the arm. "Come on, Harrison, you stupid! You're
worse than he is. Can't you understand anything?" Sheila's skirts were
already fluttering through the door.

"Great Scott!" Wade exclaimed, "you don't mean----"

"You--you _bonehead_!" she cried, exasperated, and hustled him outside.

Careless of them, Casey held Clyde, looking down into her eyes.
"Sweetheart," he said, "you never told me!"

"I was afraid."

"Of raising false hopes?"

"Not that, so much. But you wouldn't let me help you with money. And I
was afraid that if you knew, you'd consider yourself under an
obligation and wouldn't--wouldn't----"

"Wouldn't what?"

"Wouldn't be sensible and tell me you loved me," she said softly.
"You're so funny about such things, Casey. You aren't angry now, are
you?"

"Angry?" he said. "Dear, I'd put the savings of years into this
land--years when I'd worked like a very slave to get enough cash
together to swing some good deal when I should see it. That was my
stake. And the others! Why, girl, you've saved Talapus to the McCraes,
and their ranches for the men who made them. We can't repay you; we
won't try."

CHAPTER XXVIII

"Excuse _me_," said Wade, who had anticipated his entrance by many
preliminary noises, "excuse me, my dear young friends, and,
incidentally, accept my sincerest congratulations, felicitations,
and--er--jubilations. Kindly listen to the following observations.
Ahem! Far be it from me to horn in where I am as welcome as a wet dog.
Nothing is farther from my desire than to short circuit two hearts----"

"Come right in, old man," said Casey. "What's the trouble?"

"I want my dinner," said Wade plaintively. "I Paul Revered on a
shoestring. I Sheridaned without a commissariat. I brought the good
news to Ghent on an empty tummy. Is thy servant a dog, that he should
eat with a Chinaman? And I'd do that willingly; but, Casey, you know as
well as I do that the only thing fit to drink Clyde's health in is in
this room, and I warn you that if there is much more delay in doing so
nothing which may occur hereafter will be either lucky or legal. While
it is possibly true that a dinner of herbs where love is has a
porterhouse, rare, and hashed bro