ever
hurting any one, this broad-browed Joan. She was so kind. And now she
must be anxious about him. She would have sat up by the fire all
night.... His eagerness for her slighted comfort gave his lagging
steps a certain vigor, the long walk back seemed very long, indeed.
Noon was hot, but he found water and by sundown he came to the canyon
trail. He wanted Joan as badly now as a hurt child wants its mother.
He came, haggard and breathless, to the door, called "Joan," came into
the warm little room and found it empty. Wen Ho, to be sure, pattered
to meet him.
"Mister Gael been gone a long time, velly long, all night. Wen Ho, he
fix bed, fix breakfast--oh, the lady? She gone out yestiddy, not come
back. She leave a letter for him, there on the table."
Prosper took it, waved Wen Ho out, and, dropping into the big chair,
opened the paper. There was Joan's big handwriting, that he himself
had taught her. Before she could only sign her name.
_Mister Gael, dere frend,_--
You have ben too good to me an it has ben too hard for you to
keep me when you were all the wile amissin her an it hurts me to
think of how it must have ben terrible hard for you all this
winter to see me where you had ben ust to seem her an me wearin
her pretty things all the wile. Now dere frend this must not be
no more. I will not stay to trouble you. You have ben awful
free-hearted. When you come back from your wanderin an tryin to
get over your bein so unhappy you will find your house quiet an
peaceful an you will not be hurt by me no more. I am not able to
say all I am feelin about your goodness an I hev not always ben
as kind to you in my thoughts an axions but that has ben my own
fault not yours. I want you to beleave this, Mister Gael. I am
goin back to Pierre's ranch to work on his land an some day I
will be hopin to see you come ridin in an I will keep on learnin
as well as I can an mebbe you will not be ashamed of me. I feel
awful bad to go but I would feel more bad to stay when it must
hurt you so. Respectably
JOAN
There were blistered spots above that pathetic, mistaken signature.
The poor girl had meant to sign herself "Respectfully," and somehow
that half-broke his heart.
He drank the strong coffee Wen Ho brought for him, two great cups of
it, and he ate a piece of broiled elk meat. Then he went out again and
walked rapidly down t
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