o the pulling strings of precedent and established
convention.

But at the same time she knew that this society which she affected to
despise would refuse to accept him; that if by any chance he should be
given a place in it he would be an object of ridicule, or at the least
passive contempt. The world did not want originality; would not
welcome in its drawing room the free, unaffected child of nature. No,
the world wanted pretense, imitation. It frowned upon truth and
applauded the sycophant.

She was not even certain that if she succeeded in making Ferguson a
real living character the world would be interested in him. But she
had reached that state of mind in which she cared very little about the
world's opinion. She, at least, was interested in him.

Upon the same afternoon--for there is no rule for the mere incidents of
life--Ferguson loped his pony through the shade of the cottonwood. He
was going to visit the cabin in Bear Flat. Would she be at home?
Would she be glad to see him? He could not bring his mind to give him
an affirmative answer to either of these questions.

But of one thing he was certain--she had treated him differently from
the other Two Diamond men who had attempted to win her friendship. Was
he to think then that she cared very little whether he came to the
cabin or not? He smiled over his pony's mane at the thought. He could
not help but see that she enjoyed his visits.

When he rode up to the cabin he found it deserted, but with a smile he
remounted Mustard and set out over the river trail, through the
cottonwood. He was sure that he would find her on the hill in the
flat, and when he had reached the edge of the cottonwood opposite the
hill he saw her.

When she heard the clatter of his pony's hoofs she turned and saw him,
waving a hand at him.

"I reckoned on findin' you here," he said when he came close enough to
be heard.

She shyly made room for him beside her on the rock, but there was
mischief in her eye. "It seems impossible to hide from you," she said
with a pretense of annoyance.

He laughed as he came around the edge of the rock and sat near her.
"Was you really tryin' to hide?" he questioned. "Because if you was,"
he continued, "you hadn't ought to have got up on this hill--where I
could see you without even lookin' for you."

"But of course you were not looking for me," she observed quietly.

He caught her gaze and held it--steadily. "I reckon I was loo