you something, Virginia."

"Are you going to stand here," she burst out sharply, "and let him blow
up your mill?"

"Yes, I am," he answered. "I don't care what happens to me if you and I
can be friends. I love you, Virginia, you know it as well as I do, and
that's all I want in the world. Let's just be friends, the way we used
to be when we were playing around town together. I've been trying to see
you for months--it's seemed like forty years--and Virginia, you've got
to listen to me!"

He paused and drew nearer, and she stood waiting passively, as if daring
him to touch her again; but he stooped and peered into her face. The
night was not dark and in the ghostly moonlight he could see the cold
anger in her eyes.

"Yes, I know," he said, "you hate me like poison--but Virginia, this is
going too far. It's all right to hate me, if that's the way you're
built, but you ought to give me a chance. It looks very much as if you'd
come up here to-night to do some damage to my mine; but I'll let that
pass and say nothing about it if you'll only give me a chance. Let me
tell you how I feel and then, some other time----"

"Well, go on," she said, "but if your old mine blows up----"

"I wish it would!" he burst out passionately. "If it would make any
difference, I wish it was blown off the map. I can't bear to fight you,
Virginia; it makes my life miserable, and I've tried to be friendly from
the first. But is it right to blame a man for something he can't help
and not even give him a chance to explain? If you think I've stolen your
mine, why, go ahead and say so and let me give it back. I'll do it, so
help me God, if you'll only say the word."

"What word?" she asked, and he threw out his hands in a helpless appeal
to her pity.

"Any word," he said, "so long as it's friendly. But I just can't stand
it to be without you!"

"Oh," she said, and looked back up the trail as if meditating another
dash to escape.

"Well, what is it?" he asked at last. "Won't you even listen to me? I've
got a plan to propose."

"Why, certainly," she responded, "go ahead and tell it. And then, when
it's done, can I go?"

"Yes, you can go," he answered eagerly, "if you'll only just listen
reasonably and think what this means to us both. We used to be friends,
Virginia, and while I was working up this deal I did everything I could
to help you. I didn't have much money then or I'd have done more for
you, but you know my heart was right. I wasn