subject again,
but--"

"Then you'd better not," she said, so firmly, so vindictively, that his
tongue was stilled. "I came here out of kindness; don't you
dare--don't you insult me again, Mr. Westerfelt."

"Oh, do forgive me! I--" But she had shaken off his hands and moved
nearer the stairway.

"You made a promise last night," she reminded him, "and I did not dream
you had so little respect for me as to break it so soon."

He moved towards her, his hands outstretched imploringly, but a sound
from below checked him. Some one was speaking to Washburn in the
office. Then footsteps were heard on the stairs, and Mrs. Bradley,
followed by Luke, waddled laboriously up the steps. She was wiping her
eyes, which were red from weeping. She glanced in cold surprise at
Harriet, and passing her with only a nod, went to Westerfelt and threw
her arms around his neck. Then with her head on his breast she burst
into fresh tears.

"You pore, motherless, unprotected boy," she sobbed. "I can't bear it
a bit longer. Me 'n' Luke wus the cause o' yore comin' to this
oncivilized place anyway, an' you've been treated wuss 'an a dog. Ef
Luke had one speck o' manhood left in him, he'd--"

Bradley advanced from the door, and drew his wife away from Westerfelt.

"Don't act so daddratted foolish," he said. "No harm hain't been done
yet--no _serious_ harm." Still holding her hand, he turned to
Westerfelt; "They've tried to do you dirt, John, I know, but them boys
will be the best friends on earth to you now. Ef you ever want to run
fer office all you got to do is to announce yorese'f. Old Hunter wus
down at Bill Stone's this mornin' as we passed buyin' his fine hoss to
replace yore'n."

"I reckon they've run Toot Wambush clean off," put in Mrs. Bradley,
looking significantly at Harriet. She expected the girl to reply, but
Harriet only avoided her glance. Mrs. Bradley rubbed her eyes again,
put her handkerchief into her pocket, and critically surveyed the damp,
bedraggled dress of the girl.

"It's mighty good of you to come down to see 'im all by yourself so
early," she said; "some gals wouldn't do sech a thing. The report is
out that you notified John of what the band intended to do."

Harriet nodded, and looked as if she wanted to get away.

"It wus mighty good of you, especially as you an' Toot are sech firm
friends," went on Mrs. Bradley; "but it's a pity you wusn't a little
sooner with yore information."

"She to