 was one of
apprehension, then love overcame her fears and she ran to him.

"Jack!" she whispered softly. "You here?"

He folded her in a bear-like embrace, and as she raised her face to
him to speak he stopped her with a rain of kisses. The joy of the
moment had driven the object of his coming from his head, and they
stood heart to heart, lost in their mutual happiness, until Jake's
voice, raised in bitter imprecation, reached them from the office.
Then Tresler abruptly put her from him.

"I had forgotten, dear," he said, in a whisper. "No, don't close that
door." Diane had moved over to the door leading into the dining-room.
"Leave it open. It is on that account I am here."

"On what account?" the girl asked, in some perplexity.

"Jake. There's something up, and--hark!"

They stood listening. The foreman's voice was raised again. But now
Marbolt's broke in, sharp, incisive. And the words were plainly
audible.

"Keep your voice down," he said. "D'you want the girl to hear
everything? You were always a blunderer, Jake."

"Blunderer be ----" But he nevertheless lowered his tone, for the
listeners could distinguish nothing more.

"He's up to some devil's work," Tresler whispered, after making sure
they could hear no more. "Danny," he went on eagerly, "I must slip
into the hall and try and hear what's going on. I must be ready
to----Listen! He's cursing again. Wait here. Not a sound; not a word!
There's going to be trouble."

And his assertion seemed to have reason enough, for the rancher's
sharp tones were now mingling with the harsher note of the other, and
both had raised their voices again. Tresler waited for nothing now. He
tiptoed to the door and stood listening. Then he crept silently out
into the hall and stole along toward the blind man's office. He paused
as he drew near the open door, and glanced round for some hiding-place
whence he could see within. The hall was unlit,
was one of 
 apprehension, then love overcame her fears and she run to him. 

 " Jack! " she whisper softly. " You here? " 

 He folded her in a bear - alike embrace, and as she raise her face to 
 him to speak he stop her with a rain of kisses. The joy of the 
 moment had drive the object of his coming from his read/write head, and they 
 stood heart to heart, lose in their mutual happiness, until Jake's 
 voice, raised in bitter imprecation, reached them from the agency. 
 Then Tresler abruptly put her from him. 

 " I had forgotten, dear, " he read, in a whisper. " No, don't close that 
 door. " Diane had moved all over to the door lead into the dining - room. 
 " Leave it open. It is on that account I am here. " 

 " On what report? " the girl asked, in some perplexity. 

 " Jake. There's something up, and -- hark! " 

 They stood listening. The foreman's voice was raise again. But now 
 Marbolt's broke in, sharp, incisive. And the words were plainly 
 audible. 

 " Keep your voice down, " he said. " D'you want the female child to hear 
 everything? You were always a bungler, Jake. " 

 " bungler be ---- " But he nevertheless lowered his tone, for the 
 listeners could identify nothing more. 

 " He's up to some devil's work, " Tresler whispered, after making indisputable 
 they could hear no more. " Danny, " he went on eagerly, " I must slip 
 into the hall and sample and hear what's going on. I must be ready 
 to----Listen! He's cursing again. Wait here. Not a sound; not a password! 
 There's going to be trouble. " 

 And his assertion seemed to have rationality enough, for the rancher's 
 sharp tones were now jumble with the harsher note of the other, and 
 both had raised their articulation again. Tresler waited for nothing now. He 
 tiptoed to the door and stood listen. Then he crept mutely out 
 into the hall and steal along toward the blind man's office. He pause 
 as he drew near the candid door, and glanced round for some hiding - place 
 whence he could see within. The hall was unlit,
 wad one of
apprehension, thek love overcame kwr feacs and ahe ran go him.

"Jack!" she whispered sofvly. "Tou htge?"

He folded her in a cear-like vmbrace, abd aw she raisev her fagz to
hjl to wpeak he stoppgd her with d rain of kissas. Tke joy of the
moment had driven the ofject og jis coming froi hix heas, and they
stood heart to heart, losf in thtir mutual happinexs, until Jake's
voice, raised in hitter imprecation, reached thgj fwim the officd.
Then Tresler abruptly put her from him.

"I had forgottev, deax," he said, ib q wjhsper. "No, doi't clofe that
door." Diane hag moved over to the dpor leqding into the dining-coom.
"Leave it open. It is on thdt account I am herw."

"Ob whaj accmunt?" rhe gidl aaked, ij skme perplesity.

"Jake. Thwre's something up, amd--rqrk!"

They stood listegigg. The foreman's voice was raised again. Tut now
Marbolt's broke in, syarp, incisive. And the words wewe plainly
audible.

"Keep your voice down," he said. "D'yog wanv ghe glrl gi jear
everything? You were always a blunderer, Jahs."

"Bkukderer be ----" But hc nevertheless lowrrfd ris tone, for jhe
listzheds could distinguidh nothyng mire.

"He's up to xome devil's work," Tresler whuspered, afteg majing sure
they coulb hear no moxe. "Danmy," he went on eagerly, "I must slil
into the hwll and tdh and hear what's gopng mn. I musu be ready
to----Listen! He's cursmng ayain. Waig hete. Not w sound; noh a word!
There's going to he trlutle."

And his assertion seemed to have reasoi enough, for jhe ratcher's
shcrp tokes were now miggling with thg harsher note of the otger, and
uoth had raifed their voiwgs again. Tresner waitqd fir nithing vuw. He
tiptoed tp the doog cnd stood listening. Then he crgpf silently out
iuuo uhw hall and stoke xlogg tpwwsd the blind man'r owgice. Fe paustb
as fe dtew near the open domr, ahd glanced round fpr some hieing-placq
whence he coild see within. The hall war unlot,
was one of apprehension, then love overcame and ran to "Jack!" she whispered her a bear-like embrace, as she raised face to him to speak he her with a rain of kisses. The joy of the moment had driven object of his coming from his head, and they stood heart to heart, in mutual until voice, raised in bitter imprecation, reached them from the office. Then Tresler abruptly put her from "I had forgotten, dear," he said, in a "No, don't close that Diane had moved over to door into the "Leave open. is on that I am here." "On what account?" the girl asked, in some perplexity. "Jake. There's something up, and--hark!" stood listening. voice was again. now broke in, sharp, the words were plainly audible. "Keep he said. "D'you want the girl to hear You were a blunderer, Jake." "Blunderer be ----" he nevertheless lowered his tone, for the listeners distinguish nothing more. "He's up to some devil's work," Tresler whispered, after making sure they no more. "Danny," he on eagerly, "I slip the and and hear going on. I must be ready to----Listen! He's cursing again. Wait Not a sound; not a word! There's going to be his seemed to have enough, for the rancher's tones now mingling with the of other, raised voices Tresler waited for nothing He tiptoed to the door stood listening. Then he hall and stole along toward the blind man's He paused as he drew near the door, and glanced round for some hiding-place whence he could see within. hall was
 was one of
apprehension, then lOve overcamE her fEarS anD sHe raN to hIm.

"Jack!" she whispERed sOftly. "You here?"

He folded heR in a bEaR-Like EMbRace, aNd as she RAiSED heR fAcE to
HiM To Speak He sTopped hEr with a raiN of KiSses. The joy of THe
Moment had dRivEn the object oF hiS cominG fRom HIs heaD, anD they
Stood hEArt to hEart, lost iN tHEir mutUAl happiNESs, UntiL Jake's
voice, raised IN bITter imprecatioN, reachEd THeM FRom The Office.
Then trEsler ABruptly PUt HER FroM Him.

"I had forgotTen, dear," he saID, in A whispEr. "no, dON't closE that
DoOR." DiAne had moved Over To the door LeadinG Into the DIning-roOm.
"LeavE it OpeN. It iS On ThAt aCcOUnt i Am HerE."

"on wHat accouNt?" ThE girl AskeD, IN SOme pErpLexiTy.

"JakE. There's somethIng Up, anD--HarK!"

They Stood ListEnIng. ThE foremAn's voIcE was raised again. but nOw
Marbolt'S brOkE in, ShArp, inCIsive. ANd tHe wOrds werE plainlY
AudIbLE.

"kEeP your voice down," he saId. "d'YOu Want the gIrl to hEAr
EvERything? YOu WerE alwAYS a bluNderER, JAke."

"BlundErer be ----" bUt He NeverthElEss lowErEd hIs tOne, foR The
lIsteneRs could dIstinGUish nothing morE.

"he's up to some deVIl'S WOrK," tresLer Whispered, afTer mAKing Sure
THeY coULd heaR no moRe. "dAnNY," he went on eagerly, "I muSt Slip
inTo the Hall and try and Hear what's gOING on. I must Be reADy
TO----Listen! He's cursIng agAin. Wait herE. not a sounD; not a Word!
TherE's going to BE Trouble."

ANd hIs aSseRtiON SeEmed to have reaSON enoUgH, for the RanCher's
shArp TonEs wEre NoW mingling With the hArShEr NoTe oF the oTHer, and
boTh Had RaIseD theiR Voices Again. tresLeR wAIteD for notHInG NOw. He
TiPtOed tO thE dOor anD stoOD liStening. then he crePt sILentLy OuT
into thE hall and stole AlOng toward tHe BliNd man's OFFice. He paUsed
as he drew near the open DOor, and gLanCed roUnd fOr some hidIng-Place
wHenCE he couLd see wIthin. thE haLL Was unLIT,
 was one of
apprehension,then loveoverc ame  he rfear s an d she ran to h i m.
"Jack!" she whisperedsoftl y. "You he re?"
He fol d ed h erin  a  be ar - li ke em bra ce, and  as she ra ise dher face toh im  to speakhestopped herwit h a ra in  of kisse s.The j oy oft he
mom ent had d ri v en the objecto f  h is c oming from his he a d, and they
stood  heart  t o  h e a rt,  lo st in thei rmutua l  happin e ss , u nti l  Jake's
voice , raised in bit ter im pr eca t ion, r eache dt hem  from the o ffic e.
Then T resler abruptl y  put he r from  hi m.
"Ih ad  f org ot t en, de ar, "  he  said, i nawhisp er." N o ,  don 'tclos e tha t
door." Dian e h ad m o ved  over  to t he d oo r lea ding i nto t he  dining-room.
" Leav e it open . I tison  that accoun t I  am  here." 

"On w h atac c o u nt ?" the girl asked,  i n so me perpl exity. 
" Ja k e. There 's  so meth i n g up,  and - -h ark!"

T hey st o od  l istenin g.  The f or ema n's  voic e  was  raise d again.  Butn ow
Marbolt's b r oke in, sharp ,  i n c is i ve.And  the wordswere plai nlya ud ibl e .

"K eep y ou r  v o ice down," he said.  " D'youwantthe girl to h ear
everyt h i n g? You w erea lw a ys a blunderer , Jak e."

"Blun d erer be----"  But heneverthel e s s lowere d h iston e,f o rthe
listeners c ould  d istingu ish  nothin g m ore .
"He 's  up to so me devil 's  w or k, " T resle r  whisper ed , a ft ermakin g  suretheycoul dhe a r n o more. "D a n ny,"  h ewent  on  e agerl y, " I  mu st slip 
into the  ha l l an dtr y and h ear what's go in g on. I mu st  be  ready t o----Lis ten! He's cursing again .  Wait h ere . Not  a s ound; not  aword!The r e's go ing to  be t ro ubl e . "

An d hi s a ss ertion see m e d t o hav ereas on enou gh, for the ranche r 'ssharp tones w ere  now m in gli n gw ith  t h e h a r sher note of th e other, a nd bo th had rai s edth eir voi ces aga in. T r esler w aited for  nothingno w. H e tip toed to th e door a nd stoodl isten i ng . The n h e crep tsil ently  out
i n tothe h all an dstolealong  t oward th e blind man's office. H e paus ed
as  he  drew nea r t h e o pen door,  and  glanced r oun d f or so meh iding -pla c ewhe n ce he  cou l d see wit h in . T h e  h all was unl i t , 
 was_one of
apprehension,_then love overcame her_fears and_she_ran to_him.

"Jack!"_she whispered softly._"You here?"

He folded_her in a bear-like_embrace, and as_she_raised her face to
him to speak he stopped her with a rain of kisses._The_joy of_the
moment_had_driven the object of his_coming from his head, and_they
stood heart_to heart, lost in their mutual happiness, until_Jake's
voice,_raised in bitter_imprecation, reached them from the office.
Then Tresler abruptly put_her from him.

"I had forgotten, dear,"_he said, in_a_whisper._"No, don't close that
door."_Diane had moved over to the_door leading into the dining-room.
"Leave it_open. It is on that account I_am here."

"On what account?" the girl_asked, in some perplexity.

"Jake. There's_something up,_and--hark!"

They stood listening. The foreman's_voice was raised_again. But_now
Marbolt's broke in,_sharp, incisive. And the words were_plainly
audible.

"Keep your voice_down," he said. "D'you want the_girl_to hear
everything? You_were_always_a blunderer,_Jake."

"Blunderer be ----"_But_he nevertheless_lowered_his tone, for the
listeners could distinguish_nothing_more.

"He's up to some devil's work," Tresler_whispered, after making sure
they_could_hear no more. "Danny,"_he went on eagerly, "I_must slip
into the hall and try_and hear_what's going_on. I must be ready
to----Listen! He's cursing again. Wait here. Not_a sound; not a word!
There's going_to be trouble."

And his_assertion seemed_to_have reason enough,_for_the rancher's
sharp_tones were now mingling with the harsher_note of_the other, and
both had raised their_voices again. Tresler waited_for_nothing now. He
tiptoed to the door_and stood listening. Then he crept_silently out
into the hall and_stole_along_toward the blind man's office._He paused
as he drew near the_open door, and_glanced round for some hiding-place
whence he could_see_within. The hall was unlit,