of the animals,
and then the parade, the awful, awful parade, and I riding through the
streets in tights, Jim! Tights!" She covered her face to shut out the
memory. "I couldn't go back to it, Jim! I just couldn't!" She turned
away, her face still hidden in her hands. He looked at her a long while
in silence.

"I didn't know how you'd come to feel about it," he said doggedly.

"You aren't ANGRY, Jim?" She turned to him anxiously, her eyes pleading
for his forgiveness.

"Angry?" he echoed, almost bitterly. "I guess it couldn't ever come
to that a-tween you an' me. I'll be all right." He shrugged his great
shoulders. "It's just kinder sudden, that's all. You see, I never
figured on givin' yer up, and when you said you wasn't comin' back, it
kinder seemed as though I couldn't see nothin' all my life but long,
dusty roads, and nobody in 'em. But it's all right now, and I'll just be
gettin' along to the wagon."

"But, Jim, you haven't seen Mr. Douglas," Polly protested, trying to
keep him with her until she could think of some way to comfort him.

"I'll look in on him comin' back," said Jim, anxious to be alone with
his disappointment. He was out of the gate before she could stop him.

"Hurry back, won't you, Jim? I'll be waiting for you." She watched
him going quickly down the road, his fists thrust into his brown coat
pockets, and his hat pulled over his eyes. He did not look back, as he
used to do, to wave a parting farewell, and she turned toward the house
with a troubled heart. She had reached the lower step when Strong and
Elverson approached her from the direction of the church.

"Was that feller here to take you back to the circus?" demanded Strong.

She opened her lips to reply, but before she could speak, Strong assured
her that the congregation wouldn't do anything to stop her if she wished
to go. He saw the blank look on her face. "We ain't tryin' to pry into
none of your private affairs," he explained; "but my daughter saw you
and that there feller a makin' up to each other. If you're calculatin'
to run away with him, you'll save a heap of trouble for the parson by
doin' it quick."

"The parson!"

"YOU can't blame the congregation for not wantin' him to keep you here.
You got sense enough to see how it looks. HE'D see it, too, if he wasn't
just plain, bull-headed. Well he'd better get over his stubbornness
right now, if he don't we'll get another minister, that's all."

"Another minister? You don't