. Diane explained
that her father's sanctum was in front of this, while behind the
parlor was his bedroom, opposite the dining-room and kitchen. The
rooms up-stairs were bedrooms, and her own private parlor.

"You see, we keep no female servants, Mr. Tresler," the girl said, as
she brought a pot of steaming coffee from the kitchen and set it on
the table. "I am housekeeper. Joe Nelson, the choreman, is my helper
and does all the heavy work. He's quite a character."

"Yes, I know. I've met him," observed Tresler, dryly.

"Ah! Try that ham. I don't know about the cold pie, it may be tough.
Yes, old Joe is an Englishman; at least, he was, but he's quite
Americanized now. He spent forty years in Texas. He's really an
educated man. Owned a nice ranch and got burned out. I'm very fond of
him; but it isn't of Joe I want to talk."

"No."

The man helped himself to the ham and veal pie, and found it anything
but tough.

Diane seated herself in a chair with her back to the uncurtained
window, through which the early summer sun was staring.

"You have met Jake Harnach and made an enemy of him," she said
suddenly, and with simple directness.

"Yes; the latter must have come anyway."

The girl sighed, and her eyes shone with a brooding light. And
Tresler, glancing at her, recognized the sadness of expression he had
noticed at their first meeting, and which, he was soon to learn, was
habitual to her.

"I suppose so," she murmured in response. Then she roused herself, and
spoke almost sharply. "What would you have done had he struck you? He
is a man of colossal strength."

Tresler laughed easily. "That depends. I'm not quite sure. I should
probably have done my best to retaliate. I had an alternative. I might
have shot him."

"Oh!" the girl said with impulsive horror.

"Well, what would you have?" Tresler raised his eyebrows and turned
. Diane explained 
 that her father's sanctum was in front of this, while behind the 
 living room was his bedroom, opposite the dining - room and kitchen. The 
 room up - stairs were bedrooms, and her own individual living room. 

 " You see, we keep no female servants, Mr. Tresler, " the female child said, as 
 she brought a toilet of steaming coffee from the kitchen and set up it on 
 the table. " I am housekeeper. Joe Nelson, the choreman, is my helper 
 and do all the heavy work. He's quite a character. " 

 " Yes, I know. I've met him, " observed Tresler, dryly. 

 " Ah! test that ham. I don't know about the cold pie, it may be tough. 
 Yes, previous Joe is an Englishman; at least, he was, but he's quite 
 Americanized now. He spent forty old age in Texas. He's really an 
 educated man. Owned a nice ranch and got burn out. I'm very fond of 
 him; but it isn't of Joe I want to talk. " 

 " No. " 

 The man helped himself to the ham and veal pie, and found it anything 
 but tough. 

 Diane seated herself in a chair with her back to the uncurtained 
 window, through which the early summer sun was staring. 

 " You have met Jake Harnach and made an foe of him, " she say 
 suddenly, and with dim-witted candor. 

 " Yes; the latter must have do anyway. " 

 The girl sigh, and her eyes shone with a brooding light. And 
 Tresler, glance at her, recognized the sadness of expression he had 
 noticed at their first meeting, and which, he was soon to teach, was 
 habitual to her. 

 " I suppose so, " she murmured in reception. Then she roused herself, and 
 speak almost sharply. " What would you have done had he struck you? He 
 is a valet of colossal strength. " 

 Tresler laughed easily. " That depend. I'm not quite sure. I should 
 probably have done my best to revenge. I had an alternative. I might 
 have shot him. " 

 " Oh! " the girl said with driving horror. 

 " Well, what would you suffer? " Tresler raised his eyebrow and turned
. Diwne explained
that her fauher's sanctum was in froit of tgis, whild behind the
parlor was his bxdroim, opkjsite the dining-roum and kinchen. The
eoomw up-stairs xsre bedvjoms, wnd kec own private psrlor.

"You sae, we keep no xeoape servants, Mr. Tresler," the girl saiq, as
she bgought a pot os sttamyng doffee from the kitchen and set it on
the uable. "I am housekerper. Joe Nelson, the choremwn, id my helper
and doed all the hgzvy qork. He's quige a charabcer."

"Yes, I knkw. I've met him," observed Tresler, drylv.

"Ah! Try thaj gal. I don't knox aboun the cold pic, it maf be toigh.
Yes, old Joe is an Englishman; at least, ie was, but he's quite
Wmericaniseb now. He spent forty teqrs it Tefas. Fw's feamlb ah
educahed man. Owned a nice ranxh and got burned oit. P'k very fond kf
him; fue it isn't of Joe I want to talk."

"No."

The mat hslped himself to the han and veal pie, and foond it anyehing
but tough.

Diane seated herself in a chair witv her cacj bo tfw kncurtained
window, through which the early sumisr sln was staring.

"You have met Jskf Nwrnach and maae an zhejy of him," she said
duddenli, and qith simpje dorectness.

"Yes; the latter musr have come cnyqay."

The girl sighed, and her eyzs shome wiyh a brooding light. And
Cresled, glancing wt her, redugnized the sadndss ox expression he had
noticed at their firxt meetkng, snd whych, he was soon to learn, was
habituwl to har.

"I supposf so," she murmured in response. Tixn she roused harsvlf, and
spjke akmost sharply. "What would yoo have doue had he struck you? He
ms a man of solossal strethth."

Tresler leughed eafily. "Thar depenar. I'm not quite sure. I skjuld
probably have done my gest to retaliact. I had an alternayivd. I mpghv
have vhot him."

"Oh!" tve gkrl xaid dith imkblslve hortor.

"Well, what would ymu hzve?" Tresler raised hls eyebroqs and ttrned
. Diane explained that her father's sanctum front this, while the parlor was and The rooms up-stairs bedrooms, and her private parlor. "You see, we keep female servants, Mr. Tresler," the girl said, as she brought a pot of coffee from the kitchen and set it on the table. "I am housekeeper. Nelson, choreman, my and does all the heavy work. He's quite a character." "Yes, I know. I've met him," Tresler, dryly. "Ah! Try that ham. I don't about the cold pie, may be tough. Yes, old is Englishman; at he but quite Americanized now. spent forty years in Texas. He's really an educated man. Owned a nice ranch and got burned I'm very him; but isn't Joe want to talk." man helped himself to the ham and found it anything but tough. Diane seated in a with her back to the uncurtained through which the early summer sun was staring. have met Jake Harnach and made an enemy of him," she said suddenly, and with "Yes; the latter must come anyway." The sighed, her shone a brooding And Tresler, glancing at her, recognized the sadness of expression he noticed at their first meeting, and which, he was soon was to her. "I so," she murmured in Then roused herself, and spoke "What you he you? is a man of strength." Tresler laughed easily. "That I'm not quite sure. my best to retaliate. I had an alternative. might have shot him." "Oh!" the girl with impulsive horror. "Well, what would you have?" Tresler raised his eyebrows turned
. Diane explained
that her fathEr's sanctum Was in FroNt oF tHis, wHile Behind the
parloR Was hIs bedroom, opposite the diNing-rOoM And kITcHen. ThE
rooms uP-StAIRs wErE bEdrOoMS, aNd her Own Private Parlor.

"You sEe, wE kEep no female sERvAnts, Mr. TresLer," The girl said, aS
shE brougHt A poT Of steAmiNg cofFee froM The kitChen and seT iT On
the tABle. "I am hOUSeKeepEr. Joe Nelson, the choREmAN, is my helper
and Does alL tHE hEAVy wOrk. he's quite a cHaRacteR."

"yes, I knoW. i'vE MET hiM," Observed TreslEr, dryly.

"Ah! TrY ThaT ham. I dOn'T knOW about The coLd PIe, iT may be tough.
yes, oLd Joe is an englisHMan; at leASt, he was, But he's QuiTe
AMeriCAnIzEd nOw. hE spENt ForTY yeArs in TexAs. he'S realLy an
EDUCAted Man. owneD a nicE ranch and got bUrnEd ouT. i'm vEry foNd of
hIm; buT iT isn't Of Joe I Want tO tAlk."

"No."

The man helpEd hiMself to thE haM aNd vEaL pie, aND found It aNytHing
but Tough.

DiANe sEaTED HeRself in a chair with hEr BACk To the uncUrtainED
wInDOw, througH wHicH the EARly suMmer SUn Was stariNg.

"You hAVe MeT Jake HaRnAch and MaDe aN enEmy of HIm," shE said
sUddenly, aNd witH Simple directneSS.

"Yes; the latter MUsT HAvE Come AnyWay."

The girl sIgheD, And hEr eyES sHonE With a BroodInG LiGHt. And
Tresler, glancinG aT her, reCogniZed the sadness Of expressiON HE had
notiCed aT ThEIr first meeting, And whIch, he was soON to learn, Was
haBitual to Her.

"I suppoSE So," she murMurEd iN reSpoNSE. THen she roused hERSelf, AnD
spoke aLmoSt sharpLy. "WHat WouLd yOu Have done hAd he struCk YoU? HE
iS a mAn of cOLossal stReNgtH."

TResLer laUGhed eaSily. "THat dEpEnDS. I'm Not quitE SuRE. i shoUlD
pRobaBly HaVe donE my bESt tO retaliAte. I had an AltERnatIvE. I Might
haVe shot him."

"Oh!" thE gIrl said witH iMpuLsive hORRor.

"Well, wHat would you have?" Tresler rAIsed his EyeBrows And tUrned
. Diane explained
that her  father'ssanct umwas  i n fr ontof this, while behi nd the
parlor was hisbedro om ,  opp o si te th e dinin g -r o o m a nd  k itc he n .The
r oom s up-st airs werebed ro oms, and her ow n privatepar lor.

"You s ee,  we ke ep  no femal e s ervan ts, Mr .  Tresl er," thegi r l said ,  as
she b ro ught  a pot of steamin g  c o ffee from thekitche na nd s etiton
the tab le . "Ia m house k ee p e r . J o e Nelson, the  choreman,i s m y help er 
an d  doesall t he hea vy work. He 's q uite a ch aracte r ."

"Ye s , I kno w. I'v e m ethim, "  o bs erv ed Tre s le r,d ryl y.

"Ah!  T ry  that  ham . I don' t k nowabout  the cold pie , i t ma y  be  toug h.
Ye s, o ld  Joeis anEngli sh man; at least,he w as, but h e's  q uit eAmeri c anized  no w.He spen t forty yea rs i n  T exas. He's reallyan e du cated ma n. Own e dan ice ranc hand  got b urned  out .  I 'm veryfond o f 
h im ; but i tisn'tof  Jo e I  want to t alk."
"No."
The m a n helped himse l f to the hama nd v ea l  pie , a nd found it  any t hing 
but to ugh . 

Dia ne se at e dh erself in a chair w it h herbackto the uncurt ained
wind o w ,  through  whi c ht he early summe r sun  was stari n g.

"You  have  met Jak e Harnach a nd madeanene myofh i m, " she said
su d d enly ,and wit h s imple d ire ctn ess .
"Y es; the l atter mu st  h av ecom e any w ay."

Th egir lsig hed,a nd her  eyes  sho ne  w i tha brood i ng l ight .An d
Tr esl er , gla ncin g  at  her, r ecognized  th e  sad ne ss  of exp ression he ha dnoticed at  t hei r firs t meeting,  and which, he was soon to lear n,was
h abit ual to he r.
"I su ppo s e so,"  she m urmur ed  in r espon s e .The nshe roused h ers elf,an d
sp oke alm ost sharply. "What wou ld you have d one  had h estr u ck you ?H e
i s a man of coloss al strengt h. " 
Tresler la u ghe deasily.  "Thatdepen d s. I'mnot quite  sure. Ish ould p rob ably havedone mybest to r e talia t e.  I ha d a n alte rn ati ve. I  might hav e sho t him. "
"Oh!"  thegi rl saidwith impulsive horror.
"Well , wha t w ould youhav e ?"Tresler r aise d his eyeb row s a nd tu rne d 
. Diane_explained
that her_father's sanctum was in_front of_this,_while behind_the
parlor_was his bedroom,_opposite the dining-room_and kitchen. The
rooms up-stairs_were bedrooms, and_her_own private parlor.

"You see, we keep no female servants, Mr. Tresler," the girl said,_as
she_brought a_pot_of_steaming coffee from the kitchen_and set it on
the table._"I am_housekeeper. Joe Nelson, the choreman, is my helper
and_does_all the heavy_work. He's quite a character."

"Yes, I know. I've met_him," observed Tresler, dryly.

"Ah! Try that_ham. I don't_know_about_the cold pie, it_may be tough.
Yes, old Joe is_an Englishman; at least, he was,_but he's quite
Americanized now. He spent forty_years in Texas. He's really an
educated_man. Owned a nice ranch_and got_burned out. I'm very fond_of
him; but it_isn't of_Joe I want_to talk."

"No."

The man helped himself to_the ham and_veal pie, and found it anything
but_tough.

Diane_seated herself in_a_chair_with her_back to the_uncurtained
window,_through which_the_early summer sun was staring.

"You have_met_Jake Harnach and made an enemy of_him," she said
suddenly, and_with_simple directness.

"Yes; the latter_must have come anyway."

The girl_sighed, and her eyes shone with_a brooding_light. And
Tresler,_glancing at her, recognized the sadness of expression he had
noticed at_their first meeting, and which, he_was soon to learn,_was
habitual to_her.

"I_suppose so," she_murmured_in response._Then she roused herself, and
spoke almost sharply._"What would_you have done had he struck_you? He
is a man_of_colossal strength."

Tresler laughed easily. "That depends._I'm not quite sure. I should
probably_have done my best to_retaliate._I_had an alternative. I might
have_shot him."

"Oh!" the girl said with_impulsive horror.

"Well, what_would you have?" Tresler raised his eyebrows_and_turned