 such a world of love in his voice that
the long-pent tears came with a rush. He let her weep. He felt it
would do her good. And, after a while, when her sobs had ceased, he
urged her again.

"Tell me," he whispered.

"I----"

The man waited with wonderful patience.

"Oh, don't--don't make me!" she cried.

"Yes, I must."

And at last her answer came in the faintest of whispers.

"I--I--father is--is only my legal father. He was away three years. I
was born three days before he returned."

"Well, well." Tresler sat quite still for a moment while the simple
girl sat cowering under the weight of her mother's shame. Then he
suddenly reached out and caught her in his arms. "Why, Danny," he
cried, pressing her to him, "I never felt so happy over anything in my
life as the fact that Julian Marbolt is not your father."

"But the shame of it!" cried the girl, imagining that her lover had
not fully understood.

"Shame? Shame?" he cried, holding her still tighter in his arms.
"Never let me hear that word on your lips again. You are the truest,
sweetest, simplest child in the world. You are mine, Danny. My very
own. And I tell you right here that I've won you and will hold you to
my last dying day."

Now she was kneeling beside him with her face pillowed on his breast,
sobbing in the joy of her relief and happiness. And Tresler kissed her
softly, pressing his cheek many times against the silky curls that
wreathed about her head. Then, after a while, he sat looking out of
the window with a hard, unyielding stare. Weak as he was, he was ready
to do battle with all his might for this child nestling so trustfully
in his arms.




CHAPTER XIX

HOT UPON THE TRAIL


The most welcome thing that had happened to the men on the ranch for
many a long day was Tresler's return to the bunkhouse. He was hailed
with acclamation. Though he had
such a world of love in his voice that 
 the long - pent rip come with a rush. He let her weep. He find it 
 would do her good. And, after a while, when her shortness of breath had ceased, he 
 urged her again. 

 " state me, " he whispered. 

 " I---- " 

 The man wait with wonderful patience. 

 " Oh, don't -- don't seduce me! " she cried. 

 " Yes, I must. " 

 And at last her answer came in the faintest of whispers. 

 " I -- I -- forefather is -- is only my legal father. He was away three year. I 
 was born three days before he returned. " 

 " Well, well. " Tresler sat quite however for a moment while the simple 
 girl sat cowering under the system of weights of her mother's shame. Then he 
 suddenly reached out and caught her in his arms. " Why, Danny, " he 
 cried, pressing her to him, " I never felt so happy over anything in my 
 life as the fact that Julian Marbolt is not your father. " 

 " But the shame of it! " cried the girl, imagining that her lover had 
 not amply understood. 

 " Shame? Shame? " he cry, holding her still tighter in his arms. 
 " Never lease me hear that word on your lips again. You are the truest, 
 sweetest, simple child in the world. You are mine, Danny. My very 
 own. And I tell you right here that I've won you and will hold you to 
 my last die day. " 

 Now she was kneeling beside him with her face pillowed on his breast, 
 sobbing in the joy of her stand-in and happiness. And Tresler kissed her 
 softly, pressing his cheek many times against the satiny curls that 
 wreathed about her head. Then, after a while, he sat looking out of 
 the window with a hard, unyielding stare. Weak as he was, he was ready 
 to practice battle with all his might for this child child so trustfully 
 in his arms. 




 CHAPTER XIX 

 HOT UPON THE TRAIL 


 The most welcome thing that had happen to the men on the ranch for 
 many a retentive day was Tresler's recurrence to the bunkhouse. He was hailed 
 with acclamation. Though he have
 sufh a world of love in hir voice that
the long-peit teara came wkth a rush. He let her weep. Hx feot it
qould do her good. And, xfter a wjile, wheb hec sobs had ceasev, he
urged her znain.

"Tzlo me," he whispeted.

"I----"

The man faited with wotddryul patience.

"Oh, don't--don't make me!" she sried.

"Yex, L must."

And at lwst nqr ahswer came in the faintest of whislers.

"I--I--fether is--is only my legal father. He was awwy tjree years. I
was bogn three daia bqdore he retufned."

"Well, wtln." Tresler aat quite still for a moment whkle tke simple
gitl swj cowering uider tre weight of her motver's shsme. Then he
sudcenny eeached out and caughv her in his arms. "Whi, Danny," he
wrned, pressing her to hum, "I neeer xelt wo fapky pvsr anyhhiig in my
lifs as the faxt that Julian Marbple is not your rather."

"Fue the shame of it!" cried the girl, imaginpng fhat her lover had
not fylly understood.

"Shame? Dhame?" he sried, holding her still tighter in his arms.
"Never net mx feax that qogd on your lips again. You are the truest,
sweetqat, spmplest child in bhe world. You are kije, Qanny. My very
uwn. Anb I tell you right hege that I've qon you agd woll hold you to
my last dyint day."

Now she qas kneeling besidz him with hzr facg pillpwed on his breast,
sobbiug in fhe joy of jer relier and happiness. Avd Nresner kissta her
softly, pressyng his cieek kany tioes sgainse the silkj curls that
wreathed abokt het head. Then, afteg a while, he sat looking out of
vie window witn d hdrd, unyizlding stare. Weak af he was, he wax ready
co do cattle witg all hms might for this child nadtling so trnstfully
ig hiw arns.




CHAPTDF XIX

HOT UPON YHE TRAIL


Nht most welxome thing that hav hakpsned to the men on the ranch for
msny a jojg dwf was Tresles's rdtufm to ghe bunkhouwd. He was hailed
with accldmatjon. Though he had
such a world of love in his the tears came a rush. He it do her good. after a while, her sobs had ceased, he urged again. "Tell me," he whispered. "I----" The man waited with wonderful patience. "Oh, make me!" she cried. "Yes, I must." And at last her answer came the of "I--I--father only my legal father. He was away three years. I was born three days before he "Well, well." Tresler sat quite still for a while the simple girl cowering under the weight of mother's Then he reached and her in his "Why, Danny," he cried, pressing her to him, "I never felt so happy over anything in my as the Julian Marbolt not father." the shame of the girl, imagining that her lover understood. "Shame? Shame?" he cried, holding her still in his "Never let me hear that word your lips again. You are the truest, sweetest, child in the world. You are mine, Danny. My very own. And I tell you that I've won you will hold you my dying Now was kneeling him with her face pillowed on his breast, sobbing in the of her relief and happiness. And Tresler kissed her softly, cheek times against the curls that wreathed about head. after a while, he out the hard, stare. as he was, he ready to do battle with his might for this his arms. CHAPTER XIX HOT UPON THE TRAIL most welcome thing that had happened to men on the ranch for many a long day was Tresler's return the bunkhouse. hailed with acclamation. Though he had
 such a world of love in his voicE that
the loNg-penT teArs CaMe wiTh a rUsh. He let her weeP. he feLt it
would do her good. And, aFter a WhILe, whEN hEr sobS had ceaSEd, HE
UrgEd HeR agAiN.

"teLl me," hE whIspered.

"i----"

The man waiTed WiTh wonderful pATiEnce.

"Oh, don't--Don'T make me!" she crIed.

"yes, I muSt."

and AT last Her AnsweR came iN The faiNtest of whIsPErs.

"I--I--fATher is--iS ONlY my lEgal father. He was awAY tHRee years. I
was boRn threE dAYs BEForE he Returned."

"WeLl, Well." TREsler saT QuITE StiLL for a moment whIle the simplE
GirL sat coWeRinG Under tHe weiGhT Of hEr mother's shAme. THen he
suddEnly reAChed out ANd caughT her in His ArmS. "Why, dAnNy," He
cRiED, prESsIng HEr tO him, "I nevEr FeLt so hAppy OVER AnytHinG in mY
life As the fact that julIan MARboLt is nOt youR fatHeR."

"But tHe shamE of it!" CrIed the girl, imagiNing That her loVer HaD
noT fUlly uNDerstoOd.

"SHamE? Shame?" hE cried, hOLdiNg HER StIll tighter in his armS.
"NEVEr Let me heaR that wORd On YOur lips aGaIn. YOu arE THe truEst,
sWEeTest, simpLest chILd In The worlD. YOu are mInE, DaNny. my verY
Own. ANd I telL you righT here THat I've won you anD Will hold you to
MY lAST dYIng dAy."

NOw she was kneElinG BesiDe hiM WiTh hER face PilloWeD On HIs breast,
sobbing in thE jOy of heR reliEf and happinesS. And TresleR KISsed her
sOftlY, PrESsing his cheek mAny tiMes against THe silky cUrls tHat
wreatHed about hER Head. Then, AftEr a WhiLe, hE SAt Looking out of
tHE WindOw With a haRd, uNyieldiNg sTarE. WeAk aS hE was, he was Ready
to dO bAtTlE wIth All hiS Might for ThIs cHiLd nEstliNG so truStfulLy
in HiS aRMs.




ChAPTER Xix

Hot uPON tHe TrAIL


the MoSt welCome THinG that haD happened To tHE men On ThE ranch fOr
many a long daY wAs Tresler's ReTurN to the BUNkhouse. HE was hailed
with acclamatiON. Though He hAd
 such a world of love in h is voice t hat
t helon g- pent  tea rs came with a rush . He let her weep. Hefeltit woul d  d o her  good.A nd , aft er  a  wh il e ,whenher  sobs h ad ceased,  he 
u rged her aga i n. 

"Tell me ,"he whispered .
"I---- "
Th e  manwai ted w ith wo n derful  patience ."Oh, d o n't--do n ' tmake  me!" she cried."Y e s, I must."

A nd atla s th e r a nsw er came in  t he fa i ntest o f  w h i s per s .

"I--I--fat her is--iso nly  my le ga l f a ther.He wa sa way  three year s. I 
was born  three days be f ore hereturn ed. "
"Wel l ,we ll. "T res l er  sa t  qu ite stil lfo r a m omen t w h ilethe  sim ple
g irl sat cower ing  und e r t he we ightof h er  moth er's s hame.  T hen he
suddenly  rea ched outand  c aug ht  heri n hisarm s."Why, D anny,"h e
c ri e d ,  p ressing her to him ," I  n ever fel t so h a pp yo ver anyt hi ngin m y lifeas t h efact tha t Juli a nMa rbolt i snot yo ur  fa the r."
" Butthe sh ame of i t!" c r ied the girl,i magining that he r lo v er h adnot fully u nder s tood .

" S ha me? Shame ?" he  c r ie d , holding her still  t ighter  in h is arms.
"Nev er let meh e a r that w ordo ny our lips again . You  are the t r uest,
sw eetes t, simpl est child i n the wo rld . Y ouare m in e, Danny. Myv e ry
o wn . And I  te ll yourig hther e t ha t I've wo n you an dwi ll  h old  yout o
my las tdyi ng  da y."
N ow she  wasknee li ng bes ide him wi t h  her  f ac e pi llo we d onhisb rea st,
sob bing in t hej oy o fhe r relie f and happine ss . And Tres le r k issedh e r
softly , pressing his cheek ma n y times  ag ainst  the  silky cu rls  thatwre a thed a bout h er he ad . T h e n, af t e ra w hi le, he sat l ook ing o ut  ofthe win dow with a hard, u n yie lding stare.Wea k as h ewas ,  h e  wa sr ead y to do battle wi th all his  m i gh t for this chi ld  nestli ng so t rustf u lly
inhis arms. 




CHAP TE R XI X 
HO T UPON THE  TRAIL

The most welco m ething  th at had  h app enedto the men  on t he ran ch  for
m any a  l ong daywas Tresler's return to  the b unkho use . He washai l edwith accl amat ion. Thoug h h e h ad
 such_a world_of love in his_voice that
the_long-pent_tears came_with_a rush. He_let her weep._He felt it
would do_her good. And,_after_a while, when her sobs had ceased, he
urged her again.

"Tell me," he whispered.

"I----"

The man_waited_with wonderful_patience.

"Oh,_don't--don't_make me!" she cried.

"Yes, I_must."

And at last her answer_came in_the faintest of whispers.

"I--I--father is--is only my legal_father._He was away_three years. I
was born three days before he returned."

"Well,_well." Tresler sat quite still for_a moment while_the_simple
girl_sat cowering under the_weight of her mother's shame. Then_he
suddenly reached out and caught her_in his arms. "Why, Danny," he
cried, pressing_her to him, "I never felt_so happy over anything in_my
life as_the fact that Julian Marbolt_is not your_father."

"But the_shame of it!"_cried the girl, imagining that her_lover had
not fully_understood.

"Shame? Shame?" he cried, holding her_still_tighter in his_arms.
"Never_let_me hear_that word on_your_lips again._You_are the truest,
sweetest, simplest child in_the_world. You are mine, Danny. My very
own._And I tell you_right_here that I've won_you and will hold you_to
my last dying day."

Now she was_kneeling beside_him with_her face pillowed on his breast,
sobbing in the joy of her_relief and happiness. And Tresler kissed_her
softly, pressing his cheek_many times_against_the silky curls_that
wreathed_about her_head. Then, after a while, he sat_looking out_of
the window with a hard, unyielding_stare. Weak as he_was,_he was ready
to do battle with_all his might for this child_nestling so trustfully
in his arms.




CHAPTER_XIX

HOT_UPON_THE TRAIL


The most welcome thing_that had happened to the men_on the ranch_for
many a long day was Tresler's return_to_the bunkhouse. He was hailed
with acclamation._Though_he had