leather, eased it a
little, and ran his hands over the fretful creature's head. It just
stopped, stood still, pushed its nose under his arm, and pressed
against his side. Mr. Pryor arose in one stirrup, swung around and
alighted. He looped an arm through the bridle rein, and with both
hands gripped his whipstock.

"How the devil do you do it?" he asked, as if he were provoked.

"First, the bridle was uncomfortable; next, you surely know, Mr. Pryor,
that a man can transfer his mental state to his mount."

Laddie pointed to the churned up earth.

"THAT represents your mental state; THIS"--he slid his hand down the
neck of the horse--"portrays mine."

Mr. Pryor's face reddened, but Laddie was laughing so heartily he
joined in sort of sickly-like.

"Oh I doubt if you are so damnably calm!" he cried.

"I'm CALM enough, so far as that goes," said Laddie. "I'm not denying
that I've got about all the heartache I can conveniently carry."

"Do you mind telling me how far this affair has gone?"

"Wouldn't a right-minded man give the woman in the case the first
chance to answer that question? I greatly prefer that you ask Miss
Pryor."

If ever I felt sorry for any one, I did then for Mr. Pryor. He stood
there gripping the whip with both hands and he looked exactly as if the
May wind might break him into a thousand tiny pieces, and every one of
them would be glass.

"Um--er----" he said at last. "You're right, of course, but
unfortunately, Pamela and her mother did not agree with my motives, or
my course in coming to this country; and while there is no outward
demonstration er--um--other than Mrs. Pryor's seclusion; yet,
er--um!--I am forced to the belief that I'm NOT in their confidence."

"I see!" said Laddie. "And of course you love your daughter as any man
would love so beautiful a child, and when she is all he has----" I
thought the break was coming right there, but Mr. Pryor clenched his
whip and put it off; still, any one watching with half an eye could see
that it was only put off, and not for long at that,--"It has been my
idea, Mr. Pryor, that the proper course for me was to see if I could
earn any standing with your daughter. If I could, and she gave me
permission, then I intended coming to you the instant I knew how she
felt. But in such a case as this, I don't think I shall find the
slightest hesitation in telling you anything you want to know, that I
am able."

"You don't know how you stand